The Gerudo Keepsake
by The Kirby Kid
Summary: [COMPLETE! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!]. The curse of the Ghanim threatens to destroy all of Hyrule. Can a young Link master the strength of the living & the Dead and stem the coming tide? My first in a Zelda fanfiction trilogy. Enjoy. o'.'o
1. A Kid Named Link V1.1

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A Kid Named Link

V1.1

By: (o'.')o (Kirby Kid)

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Disclaimer:

I won Zelda, Link and Nintendo. My name is Shiguru Miya….wait…that's just a dream. No, I'm (o'.')o, and NO I DO NOT own Zelda Link or Nintendo. I don't even own the clothes I'm wearing. I think my brain is on rental too.

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Notes from the Editor (That's me.)

Before I start, you should know that you're going to see a lot of familiar names. Names like Link and Zelda. I just want you to know that these aren't THE Link and Zelda from any game previous or any game to come. Names like Link and Zelda are important in Hyrule, and hence get passed on from generation to generation. I'm taking that little fact and using it for other recognizable names too.

So as a reminder, if you read any name you remember from a past Zelda game…just remember, that isn't THE character, it's another character with the same name.

Complicated enough for ya? Good! Then on with the game.

I mean story.

******

Link was washing his hands furiously, as if they were infected with some kind of smelly virus. He scrubbed and scrubbed until he nearly bled. He brought his left hand up from the stream of crystal flowing water, and frowned.

"God-dammit!" Link growled.

He should be happy, it was his 14th birthday. He was finally a man…a man dammit. He was gonna be treated like a king today. There would be no chores for him today at the ranch. Usually Ingo worked him like a bitch…er dog, but not today!

'Cause today was his day. Today he was king of the world.

Or at least of the Lon Lon Ranch.

They'd have a party, invite some friends over from Kakkariko. Heck he didn't need anyone else over, Malon and Talon and Epona were more than enough company. He was pretty darn sure this was gonna be a heckuva day, and now it was all being jeopardized.

Because of some damn prank tattoo that wont come off his left hand!

Link looked at the mark with disdain. It was way to clear to be a birthmark. It was composed of 3 bright yellow triangles, forming a pyramid of sorts, with two on the bottom and one on the top. In other words, the Triforce.

Link sighed. Whoever did this did it real good. He didn't even feel it being put on. Maybe Malon did it, she was good at knitting things. Link shook his head in doubt. Malon wouldn't do it, even for a joke. Everyone knew the Triforce was a legend, but some people took it real seriously.

They especially took seriously the legend of a hero with this kind of birthmark on his left hand.

There had been some strife in Hyrule nearly a millennium ago. It was well documented in the history books. Still it had nothing to do with the Triforce, and more with a war between Hyrule and a sect of the Gerudo clan. Still, some people were adamant that the Triforce had a lot to do with –

"Link! Are you ever coming out of that bathroom?" a voice called. " If you're having trouble…"

"I'm fine Malon." Link shouted back. He wrapped his left hand with a bandage, then left the room.

Malon was standing there, pretty as ever. She had yet to reach the milestone of 14, but she acted with more maturity than Talon and even Ingo did sometimes. She wore her plain flower-patterned dress with an apron for partial protection. The apron bore tracks of dirt and mud from her work this morning. So did Malon's pretty face.

She looked down on Link's hand with concern. "What happened? You cut yourself?"

Link looked down, then laughed heartily. "I cut myself shaving!" he boasted.

Malon looked at him incredulously. "Shaving? You cut your _hand_ shaving?"

"Yeah, uh.. I was using my sword!" Link put his hand on the handle of the fine blade that nestled on his hip. He grinned as he caught the look on Malon's face. "Hey, don't knock it until you've tried it!"

Malon shook her head slightly, then smiled. "Whatever." She turned away from him, her scarlet curls swinging. Link suddenly realized how nice she smelled…despite the fact that she had been tracking in mud all morning. Link thought he should help out with some chores anyway.

They were walking towards the Stables, to go visit Epona. The walked side by side, silent as always. Link sighed. He wanted to say something to her…anything…but he didn't want to sound like an idiot. He glanced at Malon and smiled a bit. "_What's your excuse?_" He thought to her silently.

Suddenly, the tall lanky Ingo rushed in from the main gate. He stopped a few meters behind the young pair, and panted heavily for breath. His white suspenders were nearly brown with dirt and mud, and his mustache was a jumble of hair. Poor Ingo was usually overworked, Talon didn't do much work around the Ranch.

Link thought he could almost hear Ingo cursing Talon under his breath before he straightened and stared at him straight on. "You, boy!" he started. He gulped and turned towards the gate. " Get to the gate. Someone wants to see you."

"Why didn't you just let them in--?"

"You idiot! You don't let a messenger from the Royal Family into a Ranch!!" Ingo shook his head disdainfully at the suggestion. "Now get there before he gets upset, and closes us down!"

Malon looked at Link intensely. "You're not in trouble are you?"

"Me trouble? Please!" Link grinned. "Maybe they want to give me a medal, me being such a stud and all." Malon shook her head at the suggestion, even though Link could see a hint of a smile.

"Mr. Ingo's right, I'd better go." He hopped and the quick-stepped towards the main gate. "I'll be back before the party!" he called back to the others. Malon waved back, while Ingo just shook his head and walked towards the Stable.

"_Medal…_" Link thought. He brought up his left hand and sighed. "_It's never easy is it?"_

******

As Link reached the gate, he saw him. The knight was huge, covered head to toe in shiny black and white armor. The sigil of the Triforce dominated its décor, all over his cape, his gauntlet and chest plate. A shawl covered the man's face, and only piercing blue eyes were perceivable. His horse was huge, a war-horse that wouldn't be able to outrun Epona, but could crush her to a pulp. It was decorated with armor and sigils. All in all, the figure before him screamed, "**Don't mess with me bitch!"** Intimidation was the name of the game.

Link gulped and approached the figure with heads-up. The figure flashed out a 6-foot long broadsword and aimed the tip at his face.

"**You will come with me to the palace? Understood?" **the man boomed.

Link blinked, then suddenly became a lot more relaxed. He nodded and smiled. "I understand. Just, point that thing somewhere else will yeah? Please?" 

The man hesitated, then sheathed his mighty blade. He noticed the fine sword by Link's side and chuckled. Link chuckled too, the stopped when the man shot him a look.

"Hey.." Link began. "I'm I gonna have to walk there, cause I don't have my walking boots on, and…" 

Link stopped when the man pointed to the animal behind him. The mule was about 1/3rd the size of the War-horse that the man rode probably ½ the size of Epona. It didn't even have a saddle! 

Link sighed and took off his green Tuke, revealing unruly bushy blonde hair. From underneath the long "tail" of the headgear, he fished out an emergency carrot, and fed it to the animal. The he hopped on its back and looked at the huge man beside him.

"Well, ain't none of us getting any younger." Link grinned. The man shot him a look that said, "**If you don't shut up…right now, I will pull your tongue out with my teeth." **Link understood the look and fell silent.

Then the two of them made their way to Hyrule Castle. 

******

Link was given the quick, 15-second tour of the gorgeous castle. Link was simply amazed at the little he saw. Beautiful Statues, fountains, paintings, gardens… it was like living in a fairy-tale. But Without fairies, they didn't live in Hyrule.

As Link was rushed through the castle, he noticed the Triforce on nearly everything. Link remembered that besides being a mythological artifact, the Triforce was also the official sigil for the Royal Family, and it was illegal to use the sigil anywhere, on anything, without expressed written permission of the Royal Family.

That included tattooing it on your left hand.

Link looked up at the big man that rode quickly beside him. "Hey, um…what's the punishment for using the Royal Sigil without permiss-" 

"**Death**"

"Oh." Link let out. "Okay. That's good that's…. that's good." He suddenly wished the animal he rode could be persuaded into a fast run.

The man stopped at a Garden Cove, nestled in between buildings. The cove had a stream, paintings of the Royal Family, and a garden filled with every conceivable flower imaginable. Link smiled. "Yes, this is a good place to die." He thought viscously.

Link got off the mule and patted it once. It followed the huge man and its steed out of the cove. Link stood there, looking at the beautiful surrounding and waited.

And waited….

And waited….

Link growled. "Hey look, I have a party to go to! If you're gonna kill me hurry up and do it!!" he shouted.

"Oh be quiet." A voice responded.

Link froze and turned behind him. There stood the illustrious princess Zelda. Link was flabbergasted. He had no idea he was going to meet a member of the royalty. He had no idea what to do. Bow? Kneel? Stand at attention?

The princess gazed at him with her piercing blue eyes. She wore a hooded cape that trailed on the ground. Some golden strands of hair fell from underneath the hood, draping her perfectly formed face. 

If only she smiled, she could have been deemed as drop dead gorgeous.

"What party?" she asked suddenly, striding towards the young elf.

Link stammered for a bit. "Uh..wha? A birthday party…. Uh your highness." He responded.

"Let me guess, you're 14 now right?"

"_All that and a brain too._" Link thought sarcastically. "Uh, yep."

Zelda took yet another step towards him. "Why would we want to kill you? Have you done anything wrong?"

She got him there. "_Me and my mouth_." He growled. "No way, your highness, I'm a model citizen!", he exclaimed, saluting with his left hand.

"Let me see that hand."

Link froze, then gulped. "Uh…my hand?"

"Yes, that thing attached to your arm." Zelda scolded.

"You mean this hand?"

Zelda huffed angrily. "No. I meant my hand. I'm sorry to have bothered you, you can go home now."

"Really? Cool. You know, you're not so bad once you-"

"YES THAT HAND!" Zelda screamed through grated teeth. Link brought his hand up and unwrapped the bandage quickly. He then offered it to the Princess.

Zelda took it and nodded. The Triforce was still as bright as ever on it. She released his hand and stared at him intently.

"Um…I heard the punishment was death. I hope that was just a little embellishing on your par-"

"Listen, Link, and listen well." Zelda interrupted. "You know what this means don't you?"

Link stared at her. Then shrugged. "It was a joke, I'm su-"

"IT means the Time of Trouble is upon us." Zelda interrupted again. "Hyrule's going to be in trouble, and you, being the Link born with the Triforce birthmark, will save us!"

Link stared at her again. "I'm sure a little surgery and I can get this off-"

"It's not a TATOO you moron!" Zelda shouted. She sighed and looked up to the sky. " The destiny of Hyrule lies in this idiot? Why not me? Why do you curse us Goddesses!!"

Link, oblivious to the insults, tried to soothe the princess. "You know, I don't really think Hyrule's in trouble—"

"Do you know how to use that, or do I have to teach you?" Zelda interrupted (again), pointing at Link's sword.

Link looked down at his blade. He smiled. "Of course!" he exclaimed. "You just whack a guy with it until he dies! How hard can it be?" With that, he struggled to pull the 1 edged sword out of its sheathe. With a grunt, he yanked it out, barely missing Zelda's nose and cutting a short lock of he hair in half.

Link smiled sheepishly, and scratched the back of his head. "I keep it sharp see…in case of emergency."

Zelda stared at him with those beautiful, angry eyes. Her mouth was gaping. Then she shut it angrily. " I guess hero-ship skips a generation. " she muttered.

Link smiled and bowed. _"Seems graciousness also skips a generation._" Link thought evilly. "So does bitchiness…though not in your favor." He grumbled aloud.

"What was that?"

"_Damn! Elf ears!_" Link thought up an excuse to save his life. "I uh..said… It seems that…. LOOK UP THERE!"

Link pointed to the top of the stone bridge that graced over the cove. Somehow, three black clothed men were on top of it, and stringing bows.

Before the two knew it, the three assailants were hailing them with arrows. "DIE HYRULE!!!" the assassins shouted. Zelda erected a blue spherical barrier around herself. The arrows bounced off it harmlessly. Link wasn't so lucky. She searched around looking for him, or his body. 

Instead, what she saw amazed her. Link had pulled out his sword swiftly and was deflecting each of the shots that came his way. Then he bounded into the air and darted up on the speeding arrows, towards the assassins that were flinging them. Link was suddenly face to face with them, and quicker that thought, he slashed three times. The hail of arrows ended, and the assassins fell from the bridge in a heap.

Zelda gaped at the green tuniced elf. Link smiled and bounded back down to the cove, sheathing his sword in the process. Zelda dropped her shield and stormed towards him.

"You were bluffing!" she huffed angrily.

"No I wasn't."

"My guard said you were spineless! I thought you didn't know how to use a sword!"

"I don't." Link smiled. "What you just saw was a figment of your imagination."

"Quit being a smart-ass! You had no right to deceive me!" she looked down at the three would-be assassins. "And you shouldn't have killed them! We needed them for info."

"I didn't kill them!" Link protested. "I ker-nocked them out. I used the reverse side of my sword to bop 'em." One of the perps was groaning.

Zelda sighed. "See, it's happening again. Like I said." She shook her head slowly.

Link took a step towards her. "Princess…this was just an assassination attempt right? This must happen all the time, not everyone likes Hyrule." He sighed. "It doesn't mean the End of the World."

"I hope you're right, Link." Zelda said silently. Then he turned to him, and for the first time, those baby blues weren't angry…but concerned. "Go home. We'll talk again sometime."

Link halted, then nodded. "Thanks for having me, Princess." With that, he let himself out of the cove.

Zelda called the guards, the walked towards the unconscious assassins. Yes there had been other assassins, but none of them like this. Their ears were the most peculiar part of their person… They had no sharp points. They were round, not like normal ears at all.

"What manner of people are these?" Zelda mused to herself.

******

The sun was setting as Link reached Lon Lon Ranch. He had to hoof it all the way from Hyrule. Malon was waiting for him at the gate. 

Before Link could say a "Hi how are ya," Link was accosted by a hug from the farm girl. 

"Happy Birthday Link." She whispered next to his ear, and squeezed him tightly.

Link hesitated, the put his arms around her and smiled.

"_Right." _Link thought solemly_. "Happy Birthday indeed._"

******

NEXT: Link sees his first nekked woman….and the mystery of the danger threatening Hyrule expands. See ya next time. **(o'.')o**


	2. A Kid Named Link V1.2

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A Kid Named Link.

V1.2

By: (o'.')o ( Kirby Kid )

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Disclaimer:

I don't own the characters described in this story. Nintendo does. Who'd want to own Zelda anyway? It's not like it's popular or anything. o_O

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In Our Last Adventure:

Link turned 14, and was about to celebrate when he finds the mysterious Triforce symbol on his left hand. He's brought to the Castle Hyrule by a huge knight, and converses with Princess Zelda, who is afraid that bad times are in store for Hyrule. The two don't get off on the right foot, but they're saved by an assassination attempt on the princesses life. Link returns to Lon Lon Ranch, where he's about to celebrate his birthday finally.

And now, on with our feature presentation.

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Warning:

This installment may contain subject matter not suitable for some kids, but most of you will read it and won't bust a gut. However, if you do have complaints…tell me in the review or email me. Thanks.

******

Malon stared at Link as he slipped on a pair of hiking boots. The sun was setting on the day, and the party ( such as it was ) wouldn't be for another few hours. Malon spent the time with Link, chatting, eating, and just staring at him. She was attracted to him, there as no doubt about it. Right now, all she could concentrate on was his bushy blonde hair, his angular face ( even though it still had traces of baby-fat ). His tunic was off, and she marveled at his washboard stomach. He wasn't big, but unlike his face, his body didn't seem to have any traces of fat on it.

When Malon thought about that washboard stomach and that sterling chest, she had thoughts…thoughts, that if anyone else knew, she'd die of embarrassment…but maybe not if Link knew….

…she snapped awake when she realized Link was staring back at her with those mysterious brown eyes of his. Malon blushed and looked away.

"What?" Link asked. "Is there a bug on me? Maybe another birthmark?" he sighed. "Wouldn't that be perfect?"

"No no." Malon said quickly. "You're perfe--- uh clean! You're clean." Link had showed her the Triforce on his hand, and saw that he was very worried about it. Malon didn't know what to think. She wasn't like that. Malon always thought about the present, she never worried about the future.

And right now, she was thinking of something very specific.

"Link?" she started quietly. Link turned towards her and smiled. He always did that, and it annoyed her. She was trying to be serious dammit.

"What's up?" he answered.

"Umm….well.." Malon flustered. She had to go through with this! She's a woman dang-nabbit…well almost. And she was in love with this man, so she's going to do it.

"I uh..wanted to give you something…" she started, blushing furiously. " …for your birthday." She looked at Link intensely, straight in the eye.

Link blinked. He glanced around, then looked back at her. "I'm glad. So do it, what's stopping you?". He went back to brushing his forest green tunic.

"He misunderstood!" she thought stricken. She grabbed Link by the hand and looked him in the eye. She licked her lips nervously and continued. "No…I mean, something special. You know?"

Link stared back at her.

"Something only I can give you." Malon continued. She leaned closer to Link and whispered. "Something we can only give to each other…"

Discovery dawned on Link's face. He looked Malon square in the face and smiled broadly. "I understand." He whispered. Then he got up and started East. 

Malon stared at him incredulously. "Link, I'm right here…where are you going??"

"Fishing!" he exclaimed. "No one here can do it, I'm gonna catch you the biggest sterling!" Link spread his arms wide for emphasis. "I'll frame it, therein lies the surprise! Don't worry you'll love it!" And with that he left the ranch, whistling happily as he walked.

Malon stared at him, then his shadow…then where he was. She felt like crying, dying and bashing his head open with a rusty hammer, all at the same time. She buried her head in her hands. "_I made such a fool of myself_!" she wept silently. 

She heard Talon call her name. She dried her eyes, straightened herself off and left towards the barn. She was ok, she decided, as long as she never attempted that stunt again.

******

Link made it to his favorite fishin' hole. It was a nice crystal stream that flowed through the valley. It's source was the huge waterfall at the end of the divide.

Link sat down by a huge sledge-shaped rock that jutted from the fresh grass next to the stream. He searched underneath and found his fishing gear. Link walked the length of the stream, until he found a nice deep spot. Then he settled down for some fishin'.

Link whistled as he cast the line into the water. "_Malon's gonna love this_!" he thought happily. "_I wander what she's gonna give me in return. Now I'm anxious_."

He sat at the stream, waiting for about a half hour. The sun was gone, and there was just the red and yellow shine of the horizon now that gave Hyrule light. In the East, the moon was just peeking out from it's hiding spot, ready to take over the sky again.

Link sighed, bitterly disappointed._ "Not biting? You have to bite! It's my birthday dammit!"_ he fumed. He huffed angrily and was about to pack it in, when his line snagged something. Something big.

Link shot to attention and started wheeling the bite in. It was huge, and it was fighting. He reeled in furiously. Sweat was beading on his forehead. He got up and dug against the soft dirt, trying to get a foot-hold on this sea-beast.

"I've got you now you son of a--" Link yanked victoriously on the line, and saw his prize bob out of the water.

It was a foot. A pale, white foot. Link panicked. "Oh crap! I drowned somebody!" He took his tunic off and was about to dive into the water, when the owner of the foot's head bobbed out of the water as well.

The head was that of a young girl. Very pale white, with big slanted blue eyes. Large tendrils jutted out of her head like hair. Her neck featured 3 slits on each side, and they where opening and closing at a quick rate. She smiled at Link and nodded towards the line caught around her leg.

"Do you mind?"

Link stammered. This was strange. He offered to help untie the cord, but the girl brought a long slim hand out of the water to stop him.

"Just let go of it for a second." She said. Link complied and the girl dove back into the water, rod and all. A few seconds later, she bobbed out, up to her neck. She offered the Fishing gear back to Link, who accepted it wordlessly.

"You Elves sure have a stupid way of fishing." She mused. "You're not going to catch anything like that. You're better off coming in here and grabbing at them with your teeth. I catch lots of fish like that."

Link smiled. "I bet you do." A _Zoran_. This was his first encounter with the species. He heard tales that they were up-front and abrasive, but this one didn't seem to be so bad.

That's when it happened. The girl smiled and got out of the water, which was no only up to her waist. She was slender, not very tall…around 5 feet. Purple spots patterned themselves down her body, and fin-like wings protruded from her wings, and there was a smaller version at her hips and elbow.

She was also, very, extremely naked.

"I'm Ruto!" she identified. "Pleased to meet you elf." She waited for a response, but all she got was a opened-mouth stare from the young male in front of her. Indeed, this was the first time seeing a naked chick….well actually, he had walked in on Talon once, when he was 6. That experience should have warped him for life, but the woman Talon was with was much like Talon himself, quite big and funny-looking. He laughed himself out of the room, hoping that all female bodies didn't look like that without clothes.

Now he had his answer.

Link fell to the ground, his eyes never leaving Ruto's sleek body. Ruto stared at him with concern. "You OK?"

"no" Link managed weakly. "I mean, yes….Yes I'm fine!" He squeezed his legs together and forced his eyes to hang only on Ruto's…which was easier said then done.

"You sure?" Ruto asked.

"Couldn't be better!" 

"Ok, then tell me that name of yours. I gave you mine it's only fair."

"Name?"….Link's eyes shot sideways. "Link…Uhh.. Chain!." He added quickly. For some reason he didn't want Malon to ever hear of this. "Chain Link….F-Fence!"

"Chain Link Fence?" Ruto asked. Then she shrugs, her small breasts bobbing slightly. "That's a weird name, but then I guess you think Ruto's a weird name too."

"No no no!" Link disagreed. " 'Ruto' is a fine name. Say, do you mind putting on some clothes, I have a tunic you can wear-"

"Huh? Why, what's wrong with me?" Ruto pouted. " I know! It's _these_ isn't it!" she said sadly cupping her breasts. " I knew it. Even the Landers think they're puny." She waltzed out of the water and sat on the grass, pouting immensely.

Link tried to pretend he never saw that. He instead focused on her gills, which closed down completely now that she was out of water. Link guessed she must have both air-sacs and gills for breathing. Quite an efficient species, he thought with a hint of praise. 

"It's so depressing! You'd think by now they'd be bigger, like the others my age." She turned to Link, who put on a frightened smile. "You should see them! They're huge! It's so depressing, don't you think?" Ruto asked, turning towards him. 

Link quickly nodded , indicating he had seen what he needed. "Uh…Ruto… I don't think you need to emphasize on that. You're pretty enough as you are." Link stammered. He suddenly realized Ruto's breasts didn't have nipples. He assumed that fish people didn't evolve to feed their young with lactation. Link thanked his partially scientific mind that took away from the pretty naked girl that sat next to him.

"You don't really mean that do you?" Ruto asked incredulously.

"N-No, really I mean it." Link said. He faced her, forcing his eyes on hers. "I mean it, you're pretty enough. Your…your b…umm…that's just a bonus! Really."

"Then why don't you look at me if I don't offend you?"

Link sighed and pointed to his tunic. "We cover ourselves. Call it a silly custom if you want. I'm not used to seeing someone…." Link gestured his hand at Ruto's body. 

"Oh!" She smiled. "That's so SILLY! Our people pride ourselves on our physical appearance. It'd be silly to hide what's been given to us!" She frowned again. "Well, at least if what you've got is good."

"Stop it Ruto, it's annoying." Link admonished. "What you've got _is _good."

Ruto pouted. "You don't understand. Zoran men, they don't like them like _this_!" She blocked her breasts with her hands again. "They like them bigger!"

"They'll learn to like them like that." Link said solemnly. He was almost getting used to the girl being naked….almost. "Anyway, I think your pretty, and I bet anyone I ask would say the same….after slapping me for being cheeky of course."

Ruto smiled. "You're being honest.." Link nodded. It was hard for him to believe that a society could place so much emphasis on looks. "I like you Chain Link Fence. That's long, how about CLF…or Cliff? How's that?"

Link sighed. "Cliffs fine."

Ruto gracefully got to her feet and dived in the water, without making so much as a splash. She came back up, her gills drinking in the water. "Come in the water with me Cliff. We'll catch some fish."

Link smiled and got to his feet. The sky was getting dark, the red and yellow light that played on Ruto's white skin was disappearing. "I gotta go, I'm expected back at home."

Ruto smiled at the news. "I guess it can't be helped. I gotta go too. You'll come by again right?"

"It's my fishing spot."

"Great, then we'll fish together sometime Cliff." Ruto then smiled coyly. "But if you ever come down to my Kingdom, be prepared to lose your clothes! Better get used to it!" And with that, she disappeared into the blackness of the water.

Link sighed. Now he knew what people meant when they said Zorans were a bit too "in your face." Of course, there was no way he was going to relay that little experience over to Malon….not if he liked his mouth to be full of teeth. Still, he was glad he met her, such an interesting character.

Link said ,"Take care of yourself Ruto.", then turned back and headed towards the Ranch.

******

"Cliff's right. I shouldn't care what those dumb men think." Ruto found herself liking this stranger Lander…a lot. Suddenly it seemed the only opinion about herself that mattered was hers and his.

"Ha!" she laughed. "_Chain Link Fence_. He's so silly." Ruto giggled swimming backwards towards her home.

Which is why she didn't see the huge black object that stole her away into the night without as much as a scream.

******

Link reached Lon Lon Ranch. As per usual, Malon was waiting for him…but this time so was Talon and Ingo. They all looked shaken.

"What's up?" Link asked, striding up to Malon. His eyes took on a look of concern, when he saw the girl was pale, her usually pretty face wracked with worry and fright. " Hey your shaking," Link put a hand on her shoulder. "What's the matter?"

Malon hugged Link tightly, and he could sense that she was as tense as a board. Talon and Ingo didn't look that good either. Malon didn't look at Link in the eye, but spoke into his shoulder.

"Link…" she began. " We had visitors…"

******

**__**

NEXT: Who were these visitors that frightened the Lon Lon Family so? And what's Link gonna do about it? See ya next time. **(o'.')o**


	3. A Kid Named Link V1.3

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A Kid Named Link

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V1.3.

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By: (o'.')o [Kirby Kid]

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Disclaimer:

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Luigi came to my house yesterday. He told me to make sure everyone understood Zelda is property of Nintendo. He made it very clear what would happen to me if I didn't. 

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Note From Author:

If you read this through and through, please take a second and review it. I understand it's a pain to wait for the process to be completed once you press the button, so those with fast computers, please review. Here we go.

**__**

Last Chapter: Malon thought it would be the right time for her and Link to shack up. Link thought it'd be a good time to get her a fish, so he went fishing. There he met a young Zoran named Ruto, who was a little insecure about her bosom. Link was even more insecure about her nakedness, but after a little conversation, he felt a lot more comfortable around her. Ruto, helped by Link's advice, went back to her Kingdom…but something happened to her on the way. Meanwhile, Link returned to the ranch, to meet a distraught family, who had been terrorized while he was gone.

******

The stars were beginning to join the big Hyrulian moon in the skies with their many pinpoints of lights. Link had been planning to sit out and enjoy them with Malon, but they were inside the House instead. Link was now taking care of Malon and her family, trying to get them relax after what must have been a harrowing experience.

Link was incensed. That someone would come here, on his turf, on his birthday, and come messing around with his surrogate family. It pissed him off to no end. Of course, Malon wouldn't know, because he was hiding it well.

Or was he? Malon looked at him now, with those big dark eyes. She had stopped shaking and calmed down when Link made her some of his "KokiTea" ( Which he learned from his years with the Kokiri ) Malon reached out and put a hand on Links shoulder as he prepared more Tea for the rest of them. "Link, relax. We're OK."

Link stopped what he was doing. He was amazed at how she could say that, not having any worry for her own well-being. Link smiled and turned around. "Hey, I know, it's just this tea. It's not easy you know." Link lied. Then he sat down next to her, Ingo and Talon on chairs at the opposite end. "What happened? I know it might be painful, but I need to know."

The Lon Lon family hesitated, silence permeated the air like heavy fog. Finally Malon spoke up. "While you were gone, two people came. One didn't seem to bad, but the other, I'm sure he was evil! I'm sure he"

"Hold on." Link said, putting an hand on her lap. "Tell me about the first one."

"It was a man, on a white horse." Talon started. "He had this big bushy beard. He was so tanned, I thought he came from the desert."

"He asked for some water." Ingo growled. "This idiot gave him some of Lon Lon's milk instead. It's not like it's cheap you know!" he complained to the Ranch Master.

"What did he want?" Link asked, hurrying on the conversation.

"You." Malon responded. He looked at him in his eyes. Brown, for now. " He said he needed to speak with you, that it was urgent. I told him you weren't here. He said. 'When he comes back, tell him that I will speak to him today. She'll tell you how to get there.'" Malon shook her head. "Do you know what he meant? Who's this 'she' anyway?"

Link was stumped. He shrugged. It was strange, but certainly not enough to warrant such a reaction from the 3 as he saw when he returned from his trip to the Stream. "What about the other one?"

The others froze, as if the sheer act of remembering the stranger brought a certain fear of death into their hearts. Malon started trembling and Link held her. "Relax!" he started. "He can't hurt you now. Just tell me what happened….please." he pleaded.

Again, Ingo started. "The other one, the one in white. He stopped at the gate." He paused and gulped. "This one, he went right through, horse and all….as if they weren't there. He would have trampled me if I hadn't leapt out of his path!" Ingo raised his pant leg and showed the nasty purple bruise for effect.

"He strode right up to Malon and I." Talon continued. "He wore…black and red cloth…not like armor, but it looked like underneath all that cloth, his body was tougher than any metal. His horse was…lean, female… and Gerudoan, like Epona, except darker in tint. It's eyes were complete black…." Talon stopped.

Link looked at him, then Malon. "But that wasn't the weirdest thing, was it?" he inquired.

"He wasn't a big man." Malon responded. "About your height. His face was covered up completely, in a shawl, except with a long tail end like your Tuke. His eyes…." Malon hesitated. " those eyes…."

Talon saw the pain in his daughters face and jumped in. "He had these, black gloves…and on the left one, a bright yellow triangle…just one. Right at the top of his hand."

Link didn't like this description one bit. He was expecting the tall Gerudo man described in legend…Ganondorf. Instead, this looked like some punk kid.

"Tell him what he did." Ingo piped up suddenly. Malon stared at the ground. Talon shook his head. None of them wanted to talk.

Links eyes narrowed. "What did he want?" he asked.

The tone of his voice forced an answer from Malons lips. "You." she started. "He wanted to you. That's all he said. 'Link, bring him to me.' He said. At first, I lied. I said I didn't know you. He said. 'Yes, I did. Bring him to me now.' He didn't even look like me. Then…then I told him I didn't know where you were."

Tears were slowly coming from her eyes. Talon took in a deep breath. "Then he looked down at her, with those….eyes…." then Talon couldn't continue.

"She stopped breathing." Ingo said calmly. " It was like her throat wouldn't work. She fell to the ground, gasping for air…no reason at all. She just wouldn't breathe."

Link imagined the scene….Malon on the ground, Talon and Ingo trying desperately to revive her. His brown eyes became slowly became lighter.

"Her face turned completely blue. Her eyes rolled back, I thought she was dead." Talon cried. "That's when the bastard asked again 'Where is Link?' I told him what Malon told me before…that you had gone fishing. He looked at me, like he didn't believe me. I thought he'd let her die…"

Malon looked up at Link now…her face streaked with tears. Links eyes were completely gray. Cold and lifeless. Malon was shocked. She saw that Links eyes changed hue sometimes…they became a little lighter when he was angry, but this time they were gray like metal, and getting lighter. She grabbed him by the arms. 

"Link! I'm ok, really." Link shook his head, as if coming out of a trance. When he opened his eyes, they were it's normal brown color. (If that's normal for a blonde.) He looked at Malon straight on. "What happened next?"

"He left." Ingo shrugged. " I thought he was going to wait to kill you or something…but instead he just took off. Slowly and deliberately."

Link read their faces. They we're hiding something. "But that…still, wasn't the strangest thing that happened."

Talon and Ingo looked at each other. Malon sighed. "I thought I was seeing things…I was nearly out cold…but when he turned his horse and walked away…I saw.." she took a breath. 

"A tail." She said.

"A thick one." Ingo added. "Kind of curled, with a knob at the end."

"And red eyes." Talon continued. " and…and a tip of something peeked under his shawl…like a…"

"Snout." Malon said.

"And his hands were like …hooves…but then, he was completely normal again." Ingo sighed. "Like I never saw anything.

The other two nodded. Link buried his head in his hands. _"A Pig"_ he thought._ "Like in the fairy-tales. Ganondorf turned into a Pig for his crimes. I can't believe all this…it's just children's stories…"_

But what the Lon Lon Family had seen wasn't from a children's book. This didn't make sense. He suddenly wished they _had_ seen Ganondorf. That would make more sense. But then, Ganondorf also had the Triforce on his hand…not just one piece of the Triforce. And Ganondorf was a man, not just a kid, liked this guy looked like. But then, why did he look like the Demon-Pig…if only for a second…

Link suddenly realized the others were staring at him. He smiled nervously. "You guys OK?" The others nodded. "Want some more tea?" They shook their heads. "Well then…I think it's practically impossible for us to rationalize what happened. We might as well sleep on it" Link offered his hand as a physical example of his suggestion "…what do you say?"

The air boomed with the ring of the Front Gate Bell. Link shot up. _"Another visitor?"_ he wondered? Making sure his sword was on his hip, he raced to the front gate. If it was the kid again, he'd make sure he paid for what he did to Malon.

When he reached the gate, it wasn't the mysterious stranger. Instead it was a slender figure on a white horse. The horse was plain, decorated only with a saddle and retainer. The figure on the horse was obviously a woman, draped in white cloths. Strands of golden curls peeked from the shawl she wore. Link knew immediately who it was. This time he knew what to do.

Link got down on one knee, hand to his sword handle. "Princess Zelda!" he exclaimed. "Your presence here humbles us--"

"Quiet you idiot!!!" Zelda hissed. "I don't want people to know I'm here! Why do you think I came alone, like this?"

Link got up quickly and frowned. "Geez…I only did what I thought you wanted me to do! Cut me some slack."

"Oh shut up." Zelda admonished. "Listen, Link. I want you to come with me."

Link thought of a dirty joke that he would love to retort with…but he didn't even let the smile in his mind reach his lips, upon fearing instant death at the princesses hands. Instead he nodded solemnly.

"Your wish, is my command." He bowed. "Where we going?"

"Someone visited your family today." Zelda said quietly. " The same person visited me to. He's a Sage. He has information about a threat that is hanging upon Hyrule, and how we can solve it."

Zelda turned, offering the rest of the back of her horse to him. "We're going to see him."

"Now?" Link asked incredulously.

"No…next week. Sorry to bother you, goodnight."

"Whew…thanks, cause I'm kinda tired and--"

"YES NOW!" Zelda hissed at him. Link jumped and got on the back of Zelda's horse. "Put your arms around me." She ordered.

"If you say so…" Link said, as if it was a chore. He noticed how nice the Princess smelled…but then, that was a given, knowing as to how many women bust their assess keeping her pretty. Still….

"Hey…can I go talk to Malon before---"

"We have to go now Link." Zelda said, and she stirred her horse into movement. " You'll be back before the sun is up, I guarantee it."

Link sighed. He had a feeling the next time he left the ranch, it would be for a long time. With that silent thought, Link and Zelda headed out of the ranch in the dead of night, speeding towards the Sage who would tell them just how deeply their lives would be forever changed.

****

END

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Next: _The end of this Volume… Link hears from the Sage, then embarks on his journey…but…alone???_


	4. End of A Kid Named Link ( V 1.4 )

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A Kid Named Link.

v1.4

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By: (o'.')o

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Disclaimer:

__

I know this guy who knows a guy, no names…he says that Nintendo actually doesn't own Zelda….that it's a huge massive conspiracy by the developers of NUON. Now that NUON is close to it's release, it'll come out with a blockbuster lawsuit against Nintendo for taking this "borrowing" thing a little to far. However, since this has yet to be proved, I'll have to concede to the fact that the Legend of Zelda series is owned and operated by Nintendo of Japan/America.

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Note from (o'.')o:

__

If you read this, please review. That's all. Enjoy.

**__**

In V1.3:

Link found out who had terrorized his family. Apparently, a kid with the mark of one of the Triforce arrived at Lon Lon Ranch, nearly killing Malon and demanding for his whereabouts. Before that, a nicer visitor had arrived, asking for the young elf. Before Link could digest all this information, Princess Zelda comes along, and together, they go visit the visitor.

*******

Link was staring into the bright shiny stars of the Hyrulian sky. The tail end of his Tuke fell over the top of his face. Strands of blonde hair peeked out from underneath, getting into his eyes and ears. He pointed his gloved finger into the damp-tasting sky. Link thought it might rain…if not narrowly missing the area. Link sighed.

It was a bit out of despair. It was probably no longer his birthday, the moon hanging in the apex of the sky. He wasn't able to spend one good moment with Malon. Not only that, but his family gets accosted by some demon-pig freak from who knows where…and some old Sage is calling him…probably to put him to some half-baked quest. All after he notices his Triforce mark on his left hand. If Link were superstitious, he might think there was something to this whole 'Legendary Hero' Thing.

But there wasn't. All of this was just a big unfortunate coincidence. Link took in a deep, cleansing breath. _"Just a coincidence."_ He thought again.

Link was lying against a rough tree that stood alone in the middle of a clearing. They had traveled for quite a few hours. Zelda promised him they were close to the location of the Sage, so they could rest. Which is what they were doing.

Link couldn't get to sleep quite yet. He took another deep breath, slightly conscious of Zelda lying on the opposite side of the tree. Obviously she was quite conscious of him.

"You all right?" Zelda asked from the other side of the old oak.

"Never better." Link answered, not meaning a word.

"I meant what I said. You'll be back at the Ranch before the sun is down the tomorrow." She turned her head towards him. " I guess that girl back there should be happy."

"Her name's Malon."

"Is she your wife?"

Link nearly choked on that question. He shot up to a sitting position and sunk his head down a bit. He looked to the side…towards the girl at the other side of the tree. "What makes you think that?"

"I don' t know." Zelda said. "You just seem pretty sweet on her."

"That's a far cry from marriage."

"A simple 'yes' or 'no' would have been enough." Zelda said, exasperated.

Link leaned back towards the tree. "Princess, when will you be getting married?"

Zelda hesitated. "That's up to me, Link." she bit through clenched teeth.

"Should be soon, yes?"

"Yes."

"Within a year, probably?"

"Probably."

Link nodded to himself, smiling, a bit disappointed. " It should be a joyous occasion for all Hyrule."

Zelda turned an eye to Link. She nodded slowly. "It should." She turned and looked up at the moon. It's gray reflection glittered off her crystal blue eyes. She didn't like this conversation, she liked even less the feelings it brought up. She brushed them away angrily and slumped against the tree. "Goodnight." She called back silently.

Link didn't respond, and soon enough, he heard the steady breathing from Zelda that indicated sleep. He smiled sadly and slumped back against the tree. Still looking at the moon, it was a few minutes before the slumber took him.

******

By mid-morning, the pair had reached the whereabouts of the Sage. There was on old cottage nestled at the end of the sparse forest. Smoke was pouring out of the chimney, and a small water-mill was churning up the water in the stream that ran next to the building. ( If water could be churned. )

Zelda walked up to the entrance, but before she could knock, the door opened itself. Link waved Zelda in first, then followed. The inside was just as quaint and antiquated as the outside. Next to a fireplace in a thick woolly chair sat the Sage.

He was pretty old, eyes covered by big bushy eyebrows. Leathery skin surrounded his big old nose. His hair was matted at the top, and there was a lot of it, but it was all a silver color now. He gestured towards the two chairs that were opposite of the one he was in.

Zelda sat down first, then Link. Link noticed the mans clothing. Purple with triangles spotting along the lines. Golden Triangles. Link chuckled, it seemed a popular motif nowadays.

Zelda leaned towards the Sage. "This is Link." she said.

"I know." he answered.

Silence permeated the air for another minute. Link couldn't stand it. Sage or no Sage, he wasn't going to sit here like a lump for the rest of the day.

"You called me old man," Link said heatedly. "I'm here. You want to chat, let's chat. Otherwise, I'll take my leave now."

Zelda stared at Link, totally appalled, but the old man smiled and sat up straighter. He looked Link in the eye. 

"Very well, young man." He told him. "I am the Sage of Hyrule." He nodded to Zelda. "I was commissioned a such in the days of her grandfather. I was to keep watch for the signs of _the Time of Trouble_."

"Do you see those signs now?" Zelda asked. To her chagrin, the old man turned to her and slowly nodded.

"Indeed, I do. Everything, from the weather, to the appearance of some shady creatures and men, to the emergence of a _Candidate_." He said the last part motioning towards Link. "These are all signs. Truly, the _Time of Trouble_ is upon us. But…"

Zelda looked confused. "But what?"

The old man sighed. "It isn't the same type of Trouble…or the same…perhaps level. Maybe this is why we have him as a _Candidate_" he said, looking at Link.

"What do you mean?" Link said indignantly. Zelda hushed him, and looked towards the man again. 

"Is Ganondorf responsible? Is he amongst us again?" she asked anxiously.

"I do not sense Ganondorf." The old man sighed. "That does not yet mean he is not involved. However, if things continue to escalate, there is no telling the damage Hyrule will have to endure." He looked at Link. " A boy came to your home, around your age…not too long ago."

Link, shocked at his insight, nodded slowly. 

"What happened when he did visit will be the least of what will happen." The old man sank back into his chair. "He is the one to fear for now. He's the only other dark soul I can sense…" he said…peering at Link.

"What does he want?" Zelda asked. The Sage shrugged. 

"All I know is that he has to be stopped. Whatever his plans are, they can't be good for any one of us in Hyrule."

Link thought back to what happened to Malon. Something worse? He shook his head. He wasn't going to let that happen, not while he had breath in him. "What can I do about it?"

The Sage peered at Link again. "I don't know." he said simply.

Link gritted his teeth and looked away, a tuft of blonde hair swinging with his anger._ "Nothing."_ He hissed in his mind. _"What bloody good are you then?"_

Zelda suddenly looked up at him, eyes bright. She wore a smile. " The** Master Sword**!" she exclaimed. "**Sword of Evils Bane**, we can use that can't we!" she looked at the Sage. "Link can use that! Sage, tell us where it is!"

The Sage sighed. "There are 3 keys to getting the** Master Sword**. They are hidden deep in Hyrule, and are difficult enough to procure."

"So, tell us where to get these keys!" Zelda pushed.

The Sage took a hard long look at Link, who returned his stare with determination. It sounded risky…and silly. Everyone knew the Master Sword was legend. But right now he didn't care. He didn't want to be a hero, or save Hyrule. He wanted to protect. That's all.

The Sage stared at him some more, than rested against the back of his chair, legs stretching underneath the wooden table between him and his guests. The answer was obvious. He looked at the squarely.

"No." he said.

Zelda stared at him. She had no idea what to do or say next. _"No?"_ she said to herself_. "How can you say that?"_

Link voiced his thoughts aloud. "Why 'no', old man?" he asked, a hint of menace in his voice.

The Sage remained calm. "Because the **Master Sword** will not except you." he said simply. "You'll be wasting your time. You might still be able to solve this threat without the **Master Sword**, you are the _Candidate_. However, the **Master Sword** will not help you."

"Why not???" Zelda practically shouted.

"He isn't worthy. He is not pure." The Sage took Links stare dead on. "He's not like the past ones. Though this one also contains _Courage_, he contains something else. Something that makes him no different than those he will undoubtedly hunt." He looked straight into the young elf's eyes, whose hue became lighter and lighter. " He's a killer." He turned to Zelda. "He might turn on you."

Zelda couldn't believe what she was hearing. She stared at Link, whose eyes now where a stark gray. She could almost feel the anger coming from him in waves.

Link clenched his fists tight. The old man knew about him….about his flares. Everyone knew Link had a temper, but they didn't know the worse. He thought back to his time at Lon Lon Ranch as a child. How sometimes playing with Malon and her friends could turn into something worse. He knew how he was when he was angry, but that wasn't the worse thing the Sage said about him.

Link calmly put his palms flat on the table and stared heatedly into the old man. "You may not think me worthy," he began slowly. "You may think…that the **Master Sword** would turn me away. Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm not like the past Links. Maybe I'm a blight on the Legacy. I can concede to that. That's fine."

For some reason it hurt Zelda to hear Link say this about himself. She was going to ask him to stop, but he pushed on. 

"But that choice belongs to the **Master Sword**, not you. If it's the best means for me..to protect….the ones that I _love_….then I will do it. I'll do all this heroic bullshit that you think needs to be done!" Link blasted roughly. " I'll fight your monsters, your demons, I'll put life and limb on the line, I'll do whatever it takes, " He leaned closer to the Sage, who was unimpressed. "..to protect the ones I love." Link finished.

Zelda's face was ashen. _"The ones he loved?"_ she thought. Of all the things that were said, for some reason, that hurt her the most.

Link still clenched at the table…he wasn't finished. " Tell me where the keys are to the** Master Sword**. If it destroys me, then at least I tried. Don't try to keep this from me, old man. Sage." Link sat down again, staring at the old man. His eyes were now deep brown. "Please." He pleaded.

The Sage stared at the boy for a shorter time…then sighed. "There are three keys…Fire, Forest, Water. Take these to the Hidden Glade. There the **Master Sword** will make it's choice."

Link nodded. "That's all I need." He smiled almost apologetically as he rose from his seat. "Thanks."

"I don't know what the Master Sword will see in you." the Sage called after him. "It's called, 'Sword of Evil's bane." That means all evil, in everyone. Not even the Royal Family is exempt. Only the Chosen One can touch it without dying." He looked at Zelda, then the boy. "You're not the Chosen One."

Link shrugged. "Maybe not." He conceded. He opened the door and looked back. "Maybe **the Master Sword** isn't as stringent as you think." With that, he left the cottage. 

Zelda turned to the old man and nodded, then she took her leave as well. Link was waiting for her outside. She strode up to him, almost shyly. She remembered what he did at the castle to those assassins. Suddenly he wasn't such a silly boy anymore.

"What will you do now?" she asked him. He turned to her and smiled that annoyingly cute smile of his, looking at her with bright brown eyes.

"Now," he said. "we go back."

******

True to Zelda's word, the sun had not set by the time they reached the Lon Lon Ranch. Malon greeted Link with enthusiasm, and Zelda with a bit of intimidation and apprehension. The princess was invited to dinner in their humble abode, hoping to scare her off to the Castle. To their surprise, she accepted. Link chuckled, he wasn't surprised at all.

During dinner, Link explained what had happened and what he was planning to do. Ingo nodded in satisfaction upon knowing that Link would be leaving. Talon resigned in unhappiness, wishing Link the luck of the Goddesses. Malon was strangely unemotional.

Later that night, Link was in his room, preparing for his trip. He would be leaving tomorrow, and he should be set. He tried not to think about what was said back at the Cottage, and what he was getting himself into. All that kept him going was thoughts of revenge against the bastard who had hurt Malon.

As if on cue, Malon knocked, then peaked into the room. Seeing Link was clothed, she walked in, something behind her back.

Link looked at her. "Malon?"

"Happy birthday." She said silently. "One day late." She produced from behind her back, a Triforce-patterned leather-cased sheath. Link accepted it. It was perfect and length and weight. He noticed something in the hard inner-casing of the sheath.

"Ingo helped me make it so that it'll sharpen your sword every time it comes out." She said. Link took out his single-edged blade and slid it into its new sheath. Like a glove, it fit perfectly.

"I don't know what to say." Link said slowly. "It's perfect. Thanks Malon." He looked at her now, her pretty face completely un-readable. "I hope, you don't …um…"

"miss you?" she finished.

"Yeah…while I'm gone." Link said sheepishly.

"I won't." Malon said matter-of-factly. "Because I'll be going with you."

"W-WHAT!!?"

"I have my quarter-staff. I can use it to take care of myself. " 

It was true, she was pretty good with that quarter-staff. But this was madness! "Malon, you can't come with me! There's no way, I'm sorry."

"The princess is going with you." She said simply.

"She IS?" Link gasped. Great, now they could crucify him when they found out the Princess was killed on a journey with a punk farm-boy. "N-no…I'll figure this out."

"She said she's going, whether you like it or not." Malon smiled. "She said she had a vested interest to see you get the **Master Sword**."

Link was aghast. "S…So what! If the princess jumped off a bridge, would you??"

"Depends." Malon answered. "If she jumped after you…for some vested interest…I'd go too."

"For what?" Link asked incredulously. "A 'vested interest?'"

"No." Malon said. "Because…because I…" she sighed. "Because your my friend. If anything's going to happen, I should be there." She looked at him in the eye. "I'd feel bad if I didn't."

"You'd feel worse if you were dead."

"Link, Epona is _mine_!" Malon shouted. She strode forward and pointed a finger in his chest. "If you want to use her, I'll have to come along, unless you want to walk! And if you want to walk, it'll make it easier on me to follow you! I'm coming, and that's final."

Link stared, mouth agape. "M…Malon…"

"Goodnight. See you tomorrow, we have a long trip ahead of us." Malon said sweetly. She then left the room and shut it silently behind her.

Link still stared, mouth agape, after she left. He shook his head finally. He'd wake up early and steal away from here. That's what he'd do. He could hide his tracks, they wouldn't be able to follow him. Link yawned. He sure was tired. The events of the last 2 days were finally catching up with him. He walked over to the bed-table and blew out the candle. He'd take a couple hours for a nap, then steal away with Epona. That's what he'd do. They wouldn't know until it was too late.

Those thoughts were still on his mind when his head hit the pillow. Within seconds he was asleep.

****

END

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Next:** I don't think Link will wake up in time, do you? His journey for the first Key…the forest one. There he meets an old friend….and the reunion isn't completely joyous.**


	5. Trial of Keys V2.1

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Trial of Keys

V2.1

By: (o'.')o

Disclaimer

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Do I have to say this again? Fine Fine….Legend of Zelda Copyright of Nintendo. There, I said it. Now leave me alone.

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Note from (o'.')o

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Just another plea, if you like this fic, please review. If you hate this fic, please review. I wont cry if you flame me (well, maybe a little.) Just give me your opinion. If you read it, please review it. Thanks. Enjoy the fic.

__

By the way, to clear things up…characters from this fic may have the same names, but are NOT the same characters from the previous, or any other Zelda games. Think of the names as being 'passed-on' from generation to generation. J

****

Last Chapter:

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Link and Zelda made it to the Sages place, only to be told that a great danger was hovering over Hyrule. Link wanted to know how he could protect those he loved. The Sage conceded that the Master Sword could help, but that it wont except Link, that Link is not pure, and to try to get the Sword of Evils Bane was death. Link of course, had other ideas, so he's off on his quest to procure the 3 keys. To Links chagrin, Zelda and Malon had the same idea. 

And now, on we go.

******

Link woke up, the rays from the near noon-day sun shining in his face. Frantically, he got out of bed and looked outside. The sun was nearly hanging in the air. _"Noon!"_ , he thought violently. _"Shit! I was supposed to be up before dawn!!!"_ Obviously the past two days exhaustion did not do well towards him. 

Link got dressed quickly. He slipped on his Green tunic, pulling it on tight. His pulled up his brown leather pants and his slightly darker heavy boots. Link usually wore colors of a Forest motif, as was the influence from his years with the Kokiri. Link smiled to himself. He may end up seeing more people in his type of clothes sooner than was thought.

Link picked up his sword from the table. The scabbard was brand new…he just got it from Malon yesterday. It was equipped to sharpen the blade whenever it was unsheathed. Link pulled out the slender sword from its glove. It was long, around 3 feet long, and slightly curve. The back of the blade was incredibly dull… it wasn't sharp enough to cut grass. But the curved part of the blade was deadly. 

Link preferred this one-edged ( Japanese Style ) blade than that to the ones people used commonly in Hyrule. He found it easier to control, and almost surgical in its precision. Link was enough of a swordsman to realize that no sword was better than the other, Broad or Edged. It was all a matter of preference.

Link re-sheathed his sword roughly, put on his long green Tuke, and left his room. The hallways were completely empty. For one brief moment, he thought that maybe, by some miracle, they were still asleep. Link sighed. These were farm folks. They wake when the cuccos do.

As he suspected, Malon and Zelda were waiting in the kitchen of the ranch. Malon dressed normally, except for the leather pants and boots that she was sporting. Obviously she was planning to do some hiking. She looked over at him and smiled, holding on to her quarter-staff.

Link shook his head, trying to ignore the lovely smell of bacon and eggs. Again, Zelda surprised him by sitting down at the table for such an uncouth breakfast. She was still wearing the riding outfit that she wore yesterday, probably another first. Link knew she didn't exactly need to be able to move freely in battle, like he would. Her magic would be enough. Still, he didn't care. He didn't want them coming along.

The young elf opened his mouth to voice his opinion, but Zelda beat him to it. "You might as well sit down and have your meal. We have a long trip ahead of us." She said, before biting into some scrambled eggs.

Malon returned to her seat and resumed eating her breakfast. Link stood there like an idiot, mouth agape. Talon walked in from the stove area. "Better close your mouth, boy.", He chided. "Don't want flies making their nests there."

The disgusting imagery prompted Link to slam his mouth shut, along with prompt Zelda and Malon to cease their eating for a few minutes to recompose their stomachs. "Dad!" Malon complained.

Talon shrugged an apology, and Link rushed over to him, grabbing him by the shoulder. "You can't honestly be allowing Malon to tag along with me can you? You know what can happen?" Link pleaded with the old farm hand.

Talon shrugged again. "As much as I would like her to stay…I think she's grown enough to be able to make this decision." Link stared at him for a moment…then shook his head in defeat. Talon tried to console him. "Hey, she can take care of herself I'm sure. And besides, maybe it's about time she saw more of Hyrule."

__

"Yeah" Link thought menacingly. _"From 6 feet under. Why can't they realize I don't want them along cause I care for them, not because I hate them!"_ Link sighed and took his seat. He proceeded to take his more-than-fair share of the bacon and eggs for his breakfast. He thought with what he has to go through, he deserved it.

******

It was mid afternoon, and as Link thought, the unpleasantness had begun. Already Malon and the Princess seemed to be at each others throats. Link glanced up into the sky and laughed sarcastically.

There where two horses between the 3 of them. Malon insisted Link should ride with her on Epona. Zelda didn't put up much of an argument against it, so the two of them traveled on Epona…but Epona, as strong as she was, was a young horse, and it eventually wore on her. Link had gotten off to walk a length along side the Gerudian horse. 

Zelda, of course, used this opportunity to say how she was right and how Malon was full of it, ( well, not in those exact words. ). Malon didn't take to this kindly. Princess or no princess, she wouldn't be bullied by anyone into thinking she was wrong.

Even though she was.

The argument escalated. "The proof is right in front of you, woman. Are you blind?" Zelda said calmly. " You should have done as I told you. You should _always _do as I tell you."

Link had been decidedly neutral during the fight, but he decided to step in before it got worse. "Ok, hold on." He said, turning slowly towards the girls. "This… is my quest. Right?" The girls stared. "Right?" Link asked again, a little more forcefully.

The girls nodded finally. Link nodded and continued. "In that case, _I_ make the rules." Before they could object, Link put a gloved finger in the air and rushed on. ", and my rule is that no one is above anyone in rank or stature. No one follows orders, just advice, or suggestions." Link put his hands on his hips and laughed. "Except _me_ of course! I outrank both of you!!!" Link laughed gregariously.

A minute later, Link regained consciousness. He shook his head, trying to get the stars from circling his cranium to take a hike. He had no idea how he ended up on his back. When he turned, the girls were pretty far ahead of the poor elf. He got up, reminded himself to keep his mouth up, and ran to catch up.

When he did catch up, he was decidedly quiet. It was like this for a few minutes, until Zelda broke the silence. "Link, where are we going?"

Link was wondering when they were going to ask this. He was about to boast…then thought better about it. "Well, the keys are Forest Fire and Water right?" Zelda nodded. Link continued, "so I figure, the Forest one must be in some really special…or Holy forest. I guess that's going to be in the Kokiri woods."

Zelda nodded approvingly. "That's right. The Kokiri woods are considered Holy by some. If the Forest Key is anywhere, it's there." Malon looked at the both of them, and said nothing.

A few minutes later, Malon finally spoke. "Link knows the Kokiri very well. He was raised by them."

Zelda turned and looked at Link in surprise. Link shrugged. "Until they kicked me out when I was 7." He added. 

Zelda looked appalled. "Why would they do that?", she asked.

Again, Link shrugged. "I wasn't one of them. They thought I was, but I kept on growing. Kokiri don't age you know." he smiled and looked ahead. He could see the outline of the dense forest just ahead.

"Will they let you back in?" Zelda inquired.

"They should. This is important for them to…" Link hesitated and peered ahead. His sharp Elven hearing caught something several meters away. A person. He gestured for the others to follow and quickstepped ahead.

Link decided that quickstep was not enough, and he broke into a solid run. He had to be sure he wasn't going nuts, that this apparition was the real thing.

Suddenly, Link stopped. His mouth opened slowly as he saw the what was in front of him. The female figure was leaning against a tree, and she slowly got up when she noticed Link. She was hardly over 5 feet, with forest green clothing, a tunic and shorts. She wore a bandanna under her hair, which was a bright green color and cropped closely around her face. Her eyes were a bright green also, and the rest of the face showed a certain maturity and only a little of the childlike that once was. The girl also had a bright light that circled around her head many times…sometimes changing color. It was quite obvious who this girl was, but still, Link couldn't believe it.

"Saria…" Link said quietly. Not quite quiet enough for her not to hear. She smiled upon hearing her name, for she was afraid he might have forgotten around her. She walked with a certain determination towards the kid elf. She reached him, Saria's head barely reaching his shoulders. Saria got up to her toes and flung her arms around him.

"Link" she whispered, burying her heard in his shoulder. Link was stunned for a second, then didn't hesitate to hug her back, quite fiercely.

In the process of hugging her, it became quite obvious to him that Saria was no child anymore.

******

Malon and Zelda couldn't quite believe their eyes. Here was Link, the lowly farm-boy, in a passionate embrace with some unknown green cutie! Zelda shook her head in disdain_. "Just how many women did this guy know anyway?"_

Link didn't seem to notice them as they pulled up on their horses. He gently broke Saria's embrace. "Saria…" he gulped. "…how? You…you're."

"I knew I'd see you again!" Saria whispered. "It was only a matter of time…but, Goddesses, I had no idea it would be so soon." Tears were forming in her eyes.

Link brushed them away gently. "What happened to you?" he asked seriously. _"This wasn't right"_ he thought frantically. _"Saria is Kokiri. They don't grow, they're kids forever."_. Still, it was obvious that the young woman in front of her had to be at least 14 years of age. 

"I left…to find you." Saria explained slowly. She pointed towards the general direction of Lake Hyrule. "I came here, to Hirocco, the village beyond lake Hylia." She looked at Link again. "They took me in there, in an orphanage. I took care of the smaller kids." She took a deep breath, fearing she was going a little too fast. "I was going to save up for a horse, so I could search Hyrule for you, but this…this is…"

"Amazing." Link finished. _"And wrong."_ He added in his mind. _"Very wrong. Saria, why?"_ Suddenly he was aware of Zelda and Malon nearly staring holes in the back of his head. He turned, still holding Saria. "This is Saria, she's a big friend of mine." He looked at her again, still amazed at how she had grown. "We knew each other, while I was with the Kokiri." He finished.

Zelda looked down at her from her white steed. Malon disembarked Epona and walked over to Saria. "I'm Malon. Link grew up with me with my dad at the Ranch." Saria took her hand in greeting.

"You're no Kokiri." Zelda said finally. Malon looked at her, shocked at her rudeness. Link stared at the ground, eyes shut.

"Not anymore." Saria conceded. To hear those words hurt Link to no end…as he was sure it hurt Saria to say it. 

"Saria, Princess Zelda of Hyrule.", he introduced.

Zelda nodded towards the ex-Kokiri. Saria returned the greeting. "What brings you out here?" she asked politely.

"We're…." Zelda huffed and glanced at Link. "He's on a journey. We have to enter to get the Forest Key." She paused, glancing at the surroundings. The thick woods were only a couple of meters away. The entrance was marked by a huge hollow log that led inside the dense foliage. "He's going to get the Master Sword."

Saria turned to Link in surprise. "Link, really?" Link half-faced her and nodded. "Maybe I can help." With that, she turned to the bright light circling around her, which , this close, everyone could see to have 4 large gossamer wings peeking out from its light.

__

"A fairy" Link thought._ " Haven't seen one of them in a while."_

"Esea," , Saria asked ", can you go inside, ask them to let us in. Tell them it's about the Master Sword."

"I know what to ask them!" The fairy huffed angrily. She circled around Saria's head once, then zoomed to the forest. Stopping briefly when she passed Link. Link could have sworn she gave him a dirty look.

Link brushed that off and took Saria by the arm. " Saria, what were you doing here?" he asked her.

"Talking to Deku." She answered promptly. "I do it every week. I take a boat across the lake and communicate with him. He likes to keep tabs on me."

Using one arm, Link pulled Saria close to him. He didn't look directly at her, but his lips nearly brushed against her ear. "Why did you do it?" he whispered urgently.

"I had to do it, Link." she answered. That was all she was going into for now. Link sighed and released her arm. Zelda and Malon seemed a bit perturbed by this exchange.

"Is there something we should know?" Zelda asked. Before Link could answer, Esea returned from the woods.

"They'll let you and Saria back in." she said, glancing at the other two girls. They opened their mouths to protest, but the fairy increased her light to make her point. "There's no discussion about it. The two of you will just have to stay put!" she huffed.

Link looked at the other two apologetically. "I'll be in and out in a hurry." He said. Zelda shrugged and Malon gave him a terse nod. Link sighed again, it'll have to be good enough. Putting a hand on Saria's back, the two of them (plus the fairy ) walked into the Entrance of the Holy Woods of the Kokiri.

******

The village was just as he remembered it. Sparse tree-houses here and there, patches of bright green land. Some rolling hills that led to a wooded area, running water and the path to the Great Deku Tree, it was all as he remembered. Link brushed away some of the tatterdemalions that wondered around in the air. Memory flooded back into him…memories he was surprised and disappointed that he had forgotten.

The other Kokiri were inside their houses. He could see some of them in the windows, small children with faries circling them constantly. He smiled nervously, obviously his presence was a bit unnerving. He glanced over at Saria by his side. Link wondered how she was taking this.

A few feet into the village they stopped. A Kokiri boy was standing in their way. He was around 4 feet tall, lean and bowlegged. His face was wide and serious, except for the freckles that spotted his nose. The fairy that circled him glowed a menacing purple hue. It was obvious who this one was too. 

"Mido." Link nodded in greeting. 

"What are you doing here?" Mido snarled. 

"He's looking for the Forest Key." Saria interjected. "You should be more polite, you know Mido."

Mido looked up at the girl sadly. "…Saria…" he muttered. He shook his head. " I don't know anything about a Forest Key."

"Maybe the Great Deku Tree would--", Link started to suggest.

"The Great Deku Tree will NOT see you." Mido said firmly. "Not if I have anything to say about it, defiler!"

Link stared at the boy, wishing he was 2 feet taller so he could pop him one in the nose. Suddenly Esea parted from her usual orbit and faced Mido dead-on.

"This might be a complete surprise to you, Mido, but you _don't_ have a say in it!" She hissed. "If Saria wants to see him, then she'll see him, and take anyone she damn well pleases, so it'll do you well to get outta my way."

Mido's partner blazed a murderous red, and pushed towards Esea, but Mido put his hand up. He looked at Link, a gaze of complete hatred. Then he shut his eyes and walked aside. "Go." He said simply.

Link nodded his appreciation and took Saria by the hand. Together they took the path towards the Great Deku Tree. 

Before long, the huge appearance of the Kokiri Demi-God rose before them. Link looked at it with a certain awe. It hadn't changed. Not one tiny bit. It simply huge, it's canopy covering the sky, making the glade in which it rested forever shaded. Its bark was old, but still smooth. It had a young looking face, like that of a 20 year old, with bushy eyes and a goatee like facial hair. Of course, this was all bark, but it took the appearance of a person.

Link was told that this tree had it's youthful look because it came after the last Deku tree, which had grown to a ripe age, but had died in the Time of Trouble. Link suddenly feared for this one. He also wondered why the Time would come again so quickly.

A voice pounded through Links skull, and he gaped in surprise._ "Link…Saria…mine children."_ The voice called. _"How happy I am to see you."_

"I'm happy to see you too, Lord Deku." Link managed. He glanced at Saria, who was beaming.

"I'm very happy to see you, Great Deku Tree." She said. "I've missed you a great deal."

__

"As have I." The voice answered_. "I am glad you are keeping yourself well."_ The Deku paused for a moment_. "Why have you come to see me, after all this time?"_

"Lord Deku, we need information about the Forest Key." Link started. He looked down at the grass beneath him and continued. "Hyrule is in trouble again, and the Master Sword needs to be called on…"

__

"Say no more." Deku called._ "The Forest Key is located within the Lost Woods. Thread carefully, young one, and use great discretion. The Woods have become more dangerous throughout the years."_

Link agreed. The woods were more and more being populated with** LostKids**…evil creatures that murdered indiscriminately. Now it was no longer safe for anyone to even visit the Woods.

"Thank you, Lord Deku." Saria called back. 

__

"Saria, you will join him." Links head shot up at this. He didn't have a chance to argue_. "You will need her magic, the magic of the **Ocarina**, to enter the deepest parts of the Woods, young Link."_ Deku paused again…as if thinking of something. _"I put in you the trust. Protect her as she guides you through."_

Link despaired in his mind. The last thing he wanted to do was bring Saria inside the Lost Woods. However, this was the will of the Deku Tree. Link nodded. "Yes sir. I will."

Deku said nothing. The conversation was over. Saria started out of the glade, then glanced back. Link was still there, staring at the Tree. "Link?" she called back.

"I'd like to speak with Lord Deku alone…." Link asked. Saria nodded and walked out of the glade alone to wait for him. 

Link looked up at the mammoth plant. "Lord Deku…I request a favor…" Link started hesitantly.

__

"Name it." Deku boomed in his head.

"Return Saria to the way it was!" Link blurted. "Whatever she asked for before, reverse it…make her Kokiri again!"

For the longest while, Deku said nothing. Link waited, sweating in anticipation. He actually thought there was a chance he'd grant his wish…then Deku spoke.

__

"You know I cannot." He started. _"It is her wish…it will remain her wish."_

Link sunk to the ground. He clenched at the grass beneath him, eyes squeezed shut. He began communicating to Deku with his mind._ "Why? Why did she do this?"_

"She wanted to see the world." Deku responded._ "And she wanted to see you."_

"She's mortal now!" Link nearly screamed._ "She'll die!! Doesn't she know this??"_ Link knew his fear. It wasn't in normal death that Elves experienced. Kokiri died too, but when they died, they always returned to Deku. There, they were reformed, nearly exactly as before. All of the memories of the past were wiped, and they started anew. In this way, the Kokiri were immortal. They always returned to Deku.

So now, what about Saria? When she died, would she return to Deku? If not, where would she go? The Goddesses wouldn't accept her would they? Would she go into nothingness?

This was the thought that terrified Link.

Deku hesitated. "_Truly, I do not know if she realizes her mortality now, but even so, she will continue as she is."_ Deku sighed_. "She is happy, that I sense from her. Should that not be enough."_

Link gave the Tree an ugly glance. _"No! Of course not! Will she return to you, when she dies? What then? Would it be worth it if she turned into nothing??!!?"_ Link squeezed his eyes shut again, trying to stop tears from forming. "I can't have that on my head, Lord Deku." He whispered aloud. "I'm not worth it."

Deku hesitated again…then gently spoke to the distressed elf. _"Link…I fear, the Kokiri will be no more."_

Link could have sworn his heart skipped a beat. He looked up at Deku, appalled at even the thought of it. 

__

"I have foreseen it." Deku sighed._ "There is a sickness. The numbers of my children become less and less. 2 have left us while you've been gone, and they have not been reformed. Some of them…"_ Deku hesitated again, the words clearly bring him pain. _"Some of them have become LostKids. It is true. Kokiri are magical creatures, like the **tatterdemalions** that flutter through the sky. Magical creatures such as them can be turned into anything. They enter the Woods, and become Lostkids. They are lost to me, and to the Kokiri, forever."_

Link nodded. He knew that LostKids came from Kokiri, and not Elves. But how could this mean them becoming extinct?

__

"There will be a time when Kokiri are as much a Legend as the Triforce." Deku said sadly. _" I cannot save them, not even I can alter the course of time. All I can do, is encourage them, and care for them, and love them while they exist."_ Link sensed Deku was getting at something else.

"But…they can be saved, can they?" Link said quietly.

__

"Yes…they can." Deku responded_. "If they choose to, they , like Saria, can become mortal. As one, her legacy will remain. She will not disappear. It is the most I can hope for all of them."_

"So you were hoping she would ask."

Deku remained silent. Link got up to one knee, then forced himself to stand. It was almost too much to bear, the kind of news he had received. Kokiri were disappearing. The only way to save them was to allow them to grow old and die. _"And then what?"_ Link thought. _"Where would they go next?"_

Deku, of course, heard his thoughts._ "Worry not about the future, young one."_ It began. _"Worry instead about the present. The present is Saria, and her help in receiving the Forest Key. You will have to protect her, I must be able to trust me."_

Link nodded slowly. _"Think of the present."_ He thought to himself. _"Saria should be able to grow old and die. I have to protect her so she can live. I have to…."_

He sighed. "Thank you, Lord Deku." Turning quickly, Link headed out of the glade. The Deku watched him silently, and all it could do was pray for his well-being.

******

Saria was waiting for him at the entrance to the Glade. She had a good idea what Link and the Kokiri God were discussing. As Link hurried out of the green tunnel, Saria approached him. "I hope you understand a bit more now." She said gently.

Link stared at her for a moment. "Anyone move into your place?" he asked. "We should rest a while."

Saria nodded and lead Link to the tall tree with a door at the base that had been her house. Link resigned to the fact that Saria will be joining him, at least to get the Forest Key. He had to compose himself and be ready.

Soon enough, they would enter the Lost Woods…and eventually confront the demons inside.

****

End.

Next Chapter: Link and Saria brave the Lost Woods for the Forest Key. Lets hope the LostKids don't dice them up Into pieces first ;)


	6. Trial of Keys V2.2

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Trial of Keys

V2.2

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By: (o'.')o

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Disclaimer: 

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Nintendo is Property of Zelda…no wait….Legend of Zelda is property of Nintendo. Yeah, that's it.

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Last Chapter :

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The quest for the Keys of Forest, Fire and Water begins, and Link, Malon and Zelda head for Kokiri forest on a hunch. On their way, Link is greeted with a pleasant and unpleasant surprise; Saria! And she's no child anymore. Some things haven't changed though, Mido still hates his guts. Anyway, Saria and Link were allowed into the Kokiri forest, and after a talk with the Great Deku Tree, they look to their next destination: The Lost Woods.

*******

Link was jolted awake by some unknown force. He had no idea he was even asleep. Link guessed he must have dozed off after Saria had welcomed him into her old home. Link didn't care. He was more interested however in the figure lying beside him.

Saria was curled up next to him, tunic to tunic, on the floor of the tree-borne house. Link could feel nearly every aspect of her. He felt her slow rhythmic breathing, the rise and fall of her chest. Even her ears fluttered a bit in her sleep. Unconsciously, Link reached over to brush a stray strand of hair away from her soft face.

He caught himself though. Him and Esea, who was watching over Saria with vested interest. "Hands off!" she yelled. "Now get up. You two, lazy girl!" Esea buzzed in the girls ear. Saria groggily got to her elbows, then to her knees, smiling at Link and the irritating fairy.

"Thanks for waking us up." Link said sarcastically. He jumped to his feet and straightened out his tunic. _"And thanks for meddling."_ Link thought viscously. As if hearing his thoughts, Esea let out a high-pitched giggle and returned to Saria's orbit. Link offered a hand to the girl, and she accepted, rising to her feet.

"We should go now." She said, holding on to his hand for a second longer. She then opened the door of her small abode, and ducked out the entrance.

Link followed her into the creepy silence of the Kokiri woods. It was obvious the Kokiri were still very apprehensive with Link and Saria around. All except for Mido of course, who was waiting for them when they came out of the house. The look he gave Link was purely murderous.

"Saria, I'd like to talk with him alone for a second." Mido said, not looking at the girl. Saria shook her head vehemently.

"Mido, this isn't-"

"Please! Saria…" Mido pushed, a bit forcefully. Link agreed, if they were going to have it out, it might as well be before the search. Saria looked at the two of them, shook her head sadly and went up to the entrance of the Lost Woods.

With Saria gone, Mido seemed to relax. He walked up to Link slowly in his old, bow-legged way. "So…." He began, "what's the plan?"

"Saria and I go to the Lost Woods and get the Forest Key."

"Then you leave?"

Link sighed. "Yeah, I wouldn't want to waste a second of your precious time."

Mido nodded. "Good. The sooner you're out of here the better." He looked Link up and down and spat. "You're a disease on the Kokiri spirit." He hissed angrily.

Link was going to try to keep his voice down, but they were going to have it out. "We've had disagreements in the past, Mido…but what's with all this hatred?" he asked seriously.

"You bastard." Mido hissed. "Don't act so innocent."

"Mido I don't kno-"

"You took her away from me!" Mido blasted. "She's lost because of you! You as much killed her as any Monster would have!"

Link shook his head. "Saria made her choice. I had nothing to do with it."

"Like hell you didn't." Mido got in Links face and continued. "Ever since day one you pulled her away from me. I don't know how…why it happened. But it did. You caused it all, and now she's gone." He leaned towards Link. "You enjoy this don't you?"

"No Mido, I don't." Link suddenly realized Mido was using 'me' instead of 'us'. Realization slowly dawned on him. "Mido…we were ..are…just friends."

"Friends!!??" Mido laughed. "You still think me an idiot don't you?!"

"I haven't seen her in years!!!" Link shouted. "I didn't have any influence on her decision! Don't put anything on me."

Mido leaned forward, frowning menacingly. It was clear to Link that pain was his friend for a long time. "Even when you left, all she would do was think about you. I could see it in her eyes." Mido snarled. "You weren't even one of us!!" Bloody elf! We welcomed you into our home! I allowed you to stay, gave you a home! Do we get gratitude? No! Instead you poison Saria's mind against me, against her entire race, against herself! 

Mido backed off from him for a second, and stared Link straight in the face. "You bastard, you took her away from me. You don't know how much I hate you. I should have killed you when you showed up at our door."

Link was taken aback by Mido's viciousness. Mido may have been a jerk, but this was way beyond what he normally was. Link now realized that Mido was in love with Saria. He had never even considered of it. But what was there to be jealous of? _"We're just friends."_ He thought to himself. _"Just friends."_

Link looked down at the Kokiri with narrowed eyes. Mido was right about one thing, he did cause Saria to turn on her race, even if in some small way. However, if Mido wanted to survive, he'd have to do the same thing also. Maybe it wasn't too late for Mido with Saria.

No…Mido would never leave the Kokiri. Even if it meant him his life. He was too proud. "Gee…" Link started quietly. " 'You should have killed me' …what a lovely thought. I can see what Saria could _possibly_ see in you." 

Mido took a step forward, but Link stood his ground, continuing quickly. "If you felt this way about Saria, you should have told her. Even while I was gone, you should have told her, Mido."

Mido stopped in his tracks. He was right. "I…I had other responsibilities." He said quietly. "I wanted to…but I couldn't….But you, you didn't have to take her away."

The two stared at each other for nearly a full minute. Finally Link spoke up. "Once I get the Key, you'll never see me again."

"And Saria?"

"Saria can make her own decisions." Link answered. " I wont do anything to overly influence her." He sighed and said, "I have to go." With that he hurried to the hill that hosted the Lost Woods.

Mido looked at him as he went. He then he looked down at the grass beneath him, and began to cry. Very quietly, but surely, he was crying. His fairy hovered closely around him, trying to comfort his lifelong friend and partner as tears flowed down his cheeks in a flood of pent-up emotion. Mido only prayed that the two of them would make it out of the Woods OK. Mido' only fear was that he wouldn't know what to do if they would.

*******

Saria waited patiently until Link arrived at the entrance. He looked a bit distraught, and she could only imagine what he and Mido could have been talking about.

Well, actually…she didn't have to imagine _that_ hard.

"You OK?" Saria asked. Link nodded quickly. 

"Let's get this over with." Link suggested. "You ready?"

Saria sighed, shoulders rising and dropping in exaggeration. "Ready." She said simply.

Again, Link nodded, then took Saria by the hand and entered the Lost Woods. Once inside, Link stopped in his tracks. The Woods was an enigma of nature. Every 2 feet looked exactly the same as the 2 feet to every side of it. There was no discrepancy, no originality, no natural effect. It was surreal. This disoriented, but had a more sinister effect to Link as a swordsman.

In the Lost Woods, Link had no bearing on his position. He didn't know if he was facing East or West. Sometimes he didn't even know if he was facing up or down. He dropped to his knees momentarily, thinking that he was upside-down for some reason.

He got back up and stared into the woods. He wouldn't be able to battle properly in conditions like these. Link also thought he heard some sort of chanting, like that of children to a certain beat. It repeated on and on and came from every direction. Link knew for a fact that at the mercy of these conditions, anyone would become a LostKid.

Saria held on to him, feeling dizzy herself. "It's the Woods." , She whispered. With that, she reached behind her belt and pulled out a small blue Ocarina. Link watched as Saria put her lips to the instrument and played, a small, steady note. Slowly, Links equilibrium was restored. It wasn't perfect, but it was manageable.

Link straightened and smiled at the girl. "Neat trick." He chided. "You do parties?" 

"Ah, well it depends. Music lessons don't grow on trees you know." Saria returned. A bit more sure of themselves now, they pressed on through the woods.

After a while, it was pretty obvious they were completely lost. The music in he background played on and on, and Saria periodically played the Ocarina to counter the maddening effects. Still, this didn't prevent them from getting lost. There seemed to be three oak tunnels, each perpendicular to each other, that led to other parts of the Woods. However, these parts looked exactly like the last parts they were in.

Link put a hand on his hip and sighed hopelessly. There was going to have to be some strategy for him and Saria to navigate the woods. She couldn't keep playing that Ocarina forever. 

They were now in a glade of very tall grass, it was exactly the same one that they had passed 2 tunnels ago. Link was about to turn to Saria to see what she thought, when he caught them in his sight. 20 feet to either side of him, two figures stood in the grass, smirking behind their strange, skull-like masks. They were around his height, stocky in built, and dressed in rags. They had large-curved Gerudo style swords strapped to their waists, and where whipping around long chains playfully in the grass.

"LostKids." Link thought desperately. Saria opened her mouth to say something, but Link put a hand on her shoulder to quiet her.

"Hee hee hee." One of the LostKids giggled incessantly. "Food."

"Hee Hee Hee.." the other imitated. "Stupid Food, come into Lost Woods. Be meal to LostKids." It laid out its tongue from beneath the mask and drooled in anticipation.

In a flash, Link whipped out his blade from his scabbard. With equal speed, the LostKid to his right flung out his chain. It smashed against the handle of Links sword and wrapped around his hand. The sword flipped through the air a few times, then landed, blade first, into the soft grass.

Link didn't have time to blink before the second LostKid flung his chain out at the boys face. He brought up his arm to protect himself, and the chain whipped around the length of his arm, locking into place.

Link's arms were pinned and he was disarmed. His first mistake was to walk around here with his sword sheathed. One of the LostKids clicked its heels in glee, and pulled out a second chain. It began to whirl it around again, and hurled it at Link's head for the killing blow.

That was when Link made his second mistake. He dodged. Link moved his head an inch to the right, and the chain whizzed by him, brushing his ear…

…and cracking hard against Saria's forehead.

Link looked at her wide-eyed as Saria's eyes rolled back into their sockets. She slumped down on the grass, and fell face first into the soft patch.

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END.

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Next:_ It is revealed what the Sage meant by Link being "**No different than the Monsters he hunts**." Plus, the 'boss battle' for the Forest Key! Hey, he's got to get it right? He's the hero! :/ And just how are Zelda and Malon keeping themselves busy while they're stuck outside? See ya next time!!!_


	7. Trial of Keys V2.3

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Trial of Keys

V.2.3

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By: (o'.')o

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Disclaimer:

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Legend of Zelda and all related characters are property of Nintendo of Japan/America. ( Hey, I gotta sound serious once, don't I? )

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Note from the Author ( That's Me. )

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I'd like to thank those who have reviewed my fics, those who said it was good and those who said it didn't work. Thanks to all of ya!! This Bud's for you. (v^-^)

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This Volume is a continuation of **A Kid Named Link** **V1.1-4**. If you want to see them, just click on my pen-name , or search for me on the site. Search: Author = (o'.')o.

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This is NOT a **Link/Saria** romance. It might turn to romance, but it might NOT be with Saria. I'm going to keep you guessing, Links got a lot of pretty choices to consider. He sure is a lucky bastard with all these girls around him, isn't he? ;)

Do you think I should put the Disclaimer and the Authors Notes **After** or **Before** the fic???? Please give me an opinion, along with a review ;)

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Last Chapter:

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An emotional confrontation with Mido left Link a bit uncertain with his relationship with the now growing Kokiri, Saria. That weighing on his mind, Saria and Link forged into the Lost Woods. After overcoming the dizziness and disorientation that came with the Woods, Link and Saria had another obstacle to defeat: Two dangerous and depraved Lost Kids. Round 1 goes to them, the Lost Kids disarmed Link, chained themselves to his arms, and subsequently, after a mistake from Link, brutally attacked Saria. This would prove to be the Lost Kids grave mistake as well. 

**__**

And now, on with the tale.

******

Esea's scream burst through the air, the shrill note drowning out even the maddening tone of the singing in the background. As soon as Saria had hit the ground, the fairy was on her, trying desperately to see how badly she was hurt.

Link could see the blood begin to seep into the damp grass. He stood shocked, arms tied via a long chain to 2 Lost Kids to either side of him, who were jumping in glee. The one to his right, the one that had knocked Saria down ( **Lost Kid #1** ) drew out his long Gerudian blade, laughing and clicking his heels in glee. The other Lost Kid, the one to Links left, ( **Lost Kid #2**). Held the chain fast, tugging it periodically to get some kind of reaction from the stunned elf.

And he got one. Suddenly turned on Lost Kid #1, his face completely emotionless, and he stared at the creature with dead gray eyes. 

Links demeanor changed with his eye color. He suddenly became very relaxed, almost as if he were put together with loose string. It seemed like he was lifeless, without energy. Either that, or he looked like he didn't care what the Lost Kids would do to him.

This infuriated Lost Kid #1. With a murderous scream, he lunged at the boy. This was exactly what Link intended. He waited, slowly wrapping the chain around his left hand. He counted the steps Lost Kid #1 was taking as he rushed towards him. One step, two, three, four. Link waited until the creature made its move, and then he made his.

Lost Kid #1 leaped into the air, patches of grass and dirt breaking apart at his heels. He brought the curved blade over his head, intending to slice Link in half. 

At the same time, Link braced himself and wrenched the chain that Lost Kid #2 was holding on to. It took it completely by surprise, flinging it at full speed towards the young elf. 

Link was in the middle of two Lost Kids that were flying towards him, one on its own merit, and one against its will. Lost Kid #2 reached for his sword, and that's when Link made his final move.

It all took place within seconds. When Lost Kid #2 was close enough, Link reached out and put his hand over the creature's hand, taking over its curved blade. Lost Kid #1 saw what was going to happen, and in mid-flight tried to bring his sword down on Link. 

Link was faster. Bracing himself into the dirt, he brought the terrible blade of Lost Kid #2 to bear on Lost Kid #1. The force created by the two flying Lost Kids against each other was too much. The sword crunched against Lost Kid #1's face…and kept on going.

Link's eyes were open and emotionless as he pushed the blade through bone and sinew, renting through the entire body of the creature. Link bent his knees for leverage, and the ground beneath him crumbled with the pressure. Blood sprayed out in every direction as if from a burst pipe, and the two halves of Lost Kid #1 soared by Link , and landed in two gory pieces on the ground behind him.

Lost Kid #2's eyes widened in shock and abstract horror. With a hard thud, he landed on the grass in front of Link. Link now being freed of Lost Kids #2's chain, whipped the chain away from himself and stomped his boot hard on the Lost Kid's sternum.

With a swift movement, Link whipped the sword out of the Lost Kid's hand with the chain, into his own, and brought the tip of the blade right between Lost Kid #2's eyes. The Lost Kid began to sweat profusely, and looked straight into the eyes of his eventual killer. The boys eyes where as cold and gray as tempered steel. Blood and viscera were splattered on his face. Link didn't even blink.

"Plllleease." The creature begged. "No killl mee…."

Link brought his second hand onto the handle of the sword prepared to push, when a familiar and welcome voice pierced through the air.

"Link, stop!!"

Link turned nonchalantly. Saria stood before him, a little weak on the knees, but apparently alive and well. Blood splattered on her face too, and Saria was wiping on it. The two halves of Lost Kid #1 lay on either side of her, only a few feet away. She had seen everything. 

"Link." Saria breathed. "Relax." She stepped forward, trying to interfere with his duty as a protector. Apparently, Esea was able to heal her , because the fairy's light was extremely dim; something that shows how weak a fairy is. 

Saria took another step forward, then another. She reached out to Link and put her arm gently on his shoulder. 

At that moment, for a split-second, Link considered that act hostile. He thought about killing her.

That thought jolted Link back to himself. His knees buckled and he sank to the ground, the physical strain of the battle finally registering to his body. He was panting heavily. Saria sank down and held him close. Link looked at her, Sarai's reflection registering in his brown eyes.

"I'm OK…really." He lied. He couldn't think about the thought that he had had in his head only a moment before. He got up and threw the Lost Kid's blade away, then he slowly walked to pick up his own.

The Lost Kid watched him wild-eyed. "You no kill me??" he asked hopefully.

"No." Link said calmly. Picking up his sword, he walked back to the fallen creature and pointed the blade back at his face again. "Not unless you tell us how to navigate these Woods."

"W---what???" the Lost Kid gasped.

"Tell us how to get to the end of the Lost Woods…or…." Link brought the edge of his sword down to a piece of the Lost Kids torn clothing, and sliced it deftly, demonstrating the sharpness of the blade.

This was enough to convince the creature. "I…It the music!" it gasped, trembling under Link's sword. " Listen to music. Way to End is way of Music. You listen, you no get Lost."

Link shook his head. They had been listening to the music ever since they entered the Lost Woods, and they were still lost. Saria put a hand on his shoulder before Link could get any ideas. 

"It means, we have to listen, actually _listen_ to the music. Up until now, it's just been background noise to us." With that, Saria turned her head a little and listened intently. Link followed suit and listened too.

The sound of the chiming of millions upon millions of Lost Kids pierced his brain, coming from every direction. It made him so busy he felt like throwing up, but still he listened. Then, the sounds from all directions but one faded out. Suddenly there was only one direction from where the music was headed from. It was from the tunnel to the east.

Link turned to Saria, who was smiling. She heard it too. Now they wouldn't be lost and become like that Link had killed. He turned to the Lost Kid that was on the ground, but he was gone, already fled into the darkness of the Woods.

Saria and Link resumed their search through the forest. Saria walked close to Link. He was being very wary, sword drawn, always staying close to her. She examined him sadly, gently holding Esea to her chest. She knew he must have felt guilty because she was hurt by him dodging the Lost Kids' attack. That's why he was so violent with the Lost Kids. That's why…..

She tried to believe it, but she couldn't. She saw the look on his face when he attacked, the look in his eyes. It was as if he had completely forgotten about her. He wasn't being vicious because of his feelings towards her, he was being viscous because of something else. Something deep and hidden within the boys spirit. Something dark, and dangerous.

Saria snapped out of thought when she realized Link was staring her right back. "Something wrong?" Link asked, concerned. He reached out and gently placed a hand on her forehead. "You, okay? Really?"

"I'm fine." Saria said. "Esea helped me. She's very weak now, but she'll make it."

Link sighed, not able to look at her. "I'm sorry." He said. "It was my fault. If I didn't move--"

"If you didn't move, you would have been killed. You don't have a fairy with you." Saria chided. "What's done is done. My only concern now is us getting out of these Woods alive."

"Ditto." Link nodded._ [ Note from Author: This is not a Pokémon fic, but it might as well be, cause Pokémon is property of Nintendo too. Aww, now I've gone and spoiled the fic. (v^-^) ]_

Finally, the duo reached what seemed like the end of the forest. This would have been fine, except that there wasn't any Forest Key here. Instead, a immense briar patch stood defiantly in their way. 

Link wouldn't even attempt to cut through this. Each stiff vine was around 10 inches thick, and the thorns were like knives. The patch had to extend for at least 10 feet, and it was 30 feet wide. In other words, impassable.

Link slammed his arms against his sides in frustration. "What the hell do you want from us!?" He screamed into the sky. Then a peculiar sound stopped him in his tracks. He slowly turned to his side and saw Saria…giggling…of all things!

When Saria saw the look in his eyes, she broke into a full laughter. Bringing her bare arms across her stomach in an effort to contain it.

Link stared. "What the fudge is so funny?" he asked the joyful teen.

Saria glanced up at him, laughing a bit more. "Oh…you just sound…so serious." She gasped.

Link arched an eyebrow. "Well, this is fairly serious, don't you think?" 

Saria stifled her laughter and looked up at him, smiling prettily. "Yes, but didn't it ever occur to you to ask me for some kind of help?" With that good question, she produced her Ocarina and began to play.

3 soft notes flew from the instrument into the patch. Saria repeated those notes, once and then twice. The patch responded. As if being grasped by a mighty hand, it the briars parted, creating a tunnel through the thick thorns, and to the final tunnel in the Lost Woods.

Link shook his head sheepishly. "Yeah, I should have known." He smiled at the girl, who had finished playing. "What good am I? I'm just the hired sword."

Saria nodded playfully. "Yes. Yes you are." Taking Link's hand, Saria walked into the final part of the Woods.

******

Malon was resting on the trunk of the tree where the girl Link had been so…involved with….was sitting. Epona was grazing a few meters behind her. It seemed like they had been waiting for days…even though the sun still wasn't down yet. Malon knew it would take more than a few seconds to obtain the Forest Key…but for some reason she was made uncomfortable with the wait.

She was just feeling concerned for Link. Malon shook her head. She knew that was garbage. The truth was, she was feeling uneasy about him being alone with this forest girl for so long. Malon sighed. She wished she knew more about the girl and her relationship with Link.

Malon glanced over at Zelda, who was standing at the entrance of the Forest. Malon scoffed. Zelda had been standing for several hours straight, not taking any break. It was like the girl wasn't even elven, and it gave Malon the creeps.

Finally she could no longer take it. "Princess, you should sit down." Malon called. Zelda didn't budge. "Princess Zelda!" she called again, a bit louder this time.

"What?!" Zelda asked gruffly.

"I think you should sit down, Princess." Malon called sweetly. "Epona can sleep standing up, you can't."

Zelda turned and gave Malon a deadly stare. Malon stared right back. She didn't like the Princess, not personally. She was only grateful that it didn't seem like the Princess was after Links affections. If Link was even smitten with the Princess, it was probably because of her drop-dead gorgeous look. She looked like everything the perfect woman should look like, and a small part of Malon was murderously jealous because of it.

That being said, Malon patted the patch of grass next to her invitingly. Zelda hesitated, then strode down and picked a patch of grass for herself. She sat down and said nothing.

Malon glanced at her. "He should be fine." She said, thinking that was the Princesses problem.

"Who said I cared?" Zelda retorted. Apparently Malon was wrong.

Malon eyed her for a moment, the sighed in exasperation. Zelda glanced at her. "Malon…." She started quietly. "I have a lot on my mind these days, this threat over Hyrule, this creature that kind of looks like Ganondorf, the one that attacked you." she sighed. "I have a lot to think about…my country, my family. _(This stupid little boy that's been chosen to save them. The one I can't stop thinking about for some reason )_ That's why I'm so…"

"Princess, you're not being anything but proper." Malon lied. Zelda gave her a sarcastic smile. 

"Don't feed me that crap, Malon." Zelda said. " I know I'm being a bitch."

Malon stared. She didn't expect that at all. "W—Well." She stammered.

"I'll try not to be such an obvious one in the future." Zelda interrupted. She leaned against the tree and closed her eyes. "I'm gonna nap for a while, okay?"

"Of course Prince--"

"And please," Zelda interrupted again. " My name's Zelda." That said, she began her nap. 

Malon looked at her for a moment and smiled_. "Well, she's not perfect…"_ Malon thought, looking into the Kokiri Woods._ "..but at least she's elven."_

******

Link and Saria had finally reached the end of the Lost Woods. It was a tiny glade, with a stump of a huge, long dead tree sitting next to what looked like an ancient building. The building was so besieged by moss, it seemed like a plant itself. Next to the building was a tall, slim tree that reached to the buildings 2nd floor balcony.

The glade was also chock full of Lost Kids.

The creature circled the glade, staring at Link and Saria silently. The two entered the glade cautiously. Link searched the faces…or masks…of all the Lost Kids. They peered back at him, but they didn't look they intended to attack. It looked like they were waiting for something.

The Lost Kids began to stomp their feet into the ground, rhythmically. The ground shook slightly with the impact. Link tightened his grip on Saria's hand, and stepped forward, deeper into the glade.

Out of the building came a 10 foot suit of armor. It came out, armed with a giant ax. The armor had nothing living in it, it was powered by some sort of magic. It crashed out into the glade and stood defiantly in front of Link.

"**The Forest Key is yours..**" It said mystically. "..**if you defeat me**."

Link nodded and looked at Saria. Saria hesitated, then went to tree-stump next to the building.

Link began to think of strategies, or at least he tried to. The armor lashed out, slamming Link in the chest with a heavy gauntlet. Link went flying into the grassy side of the glade. He landed on the ground with his feet, head spinning from the attack.

The armor wasted no time. Raising its ax, it lunged at Link for the quick, killing blow. Link barely managed to roll to the side as the armors ax crashed into ground, busting a giant groove into the hard soil. 

Link bounded to his feet and rushed to the armor. He slashed sideways, hitting the side of the giant. The armor peered at him, then swung a might backhand that sent the elf flying several feet into the sky. Link landed into the middle of the glade, this time on his back. The Lost Kids cheered enthusiastically. Saria winced, nearly feeling the boys pain.

Link got up wearily, but shook the cobwebs in his brain off fast enough to bring his blade up to block an attack from the giant. The armor swung again, and Link parried. This happened again and again, sparks flying and shockwaves registering from the huge impacts. 

Finally the giant had enough. Quicker than Link could dodged, it kneed him in the stomach. Link went down to one knee, the air blasted completely out of him. The armor brought the giant ax crashing down on his head.

Link brought up his blade to block, bracing his left hand against the flat of the blade for extra leverage. The impact was huge, knocking some of the closer Lost Kids onto the ground. Link buckled under the strain, ground giving way underneath him. Sweat poured down his face. The giant maintained the pressure, slowly driving the young elf into the ground. The ground wouldn't break in the end though. The armor knew that the boy would break long before.

Suddenly, a light buzzed around Links head. Link thought he was starting to see spots of light, but a high-pitched voice told him otherwise. "The joints!!", Esea nearly screamed. "That's where it's vulnerable! Hurry up! If you die, who'll protect Saria???"

Link agreed. He pushed his left leg farther behind him, then leapt away. The move wasn't graceful, Link having landed again on his back, but it thwarted the giants attempt to crush him. The armors blade crashed into the ground, burying itself to the hilt, and causing a crack 10 feet in either direction of the soil beneath them.

Link took this chance. He struck first at the giants left elbow, bringing an underhanded high-sweeping blow. The armors arm sheered off easily, crashing into the ground. 

The giant abandoned his ax and swung a fist at Link. Link sidestepped the attack, and sent another blow to the giants right elbow in the same motion. The arm was flew from the rest of the giants body, flipping into the air and landing in the crowd of Lost Kids watching them.

The armor reared at Link, preparing to crush him with it's body alone. Link bent himself at the knees and sheathed his sword. Bringing his left foot out for leverage, he spun himself around, quickly bringing out his sword to increase the force of the attack. 

He spun around 360-degrees, slashing completely through the giants knees, and re-sheathed his sword in one swift motion. Link bounded out of the way, as the giant suit of armor toppled over, face first into the ground.

Link stood their, panting heavily and sweating just the same. The Lost Kids stood there stunned. Saria let out a sigh of relief. "Nice job." She said silently.

Link wanted to respond, but couldn't find air needed to speak. Esea did it for him though. "Why are you thanking him??!! If it wasn't for me, he would have been pounded to a pulp!!"

He didn't like it, but he had to agree. Link walked over to the torso of the armor, which was beginning to evaporate. "**Take it.**" It grumbled, and then, it was gone. 

"There it is!" Saria gasped. Link looked into the air in front of her. Sure enough, a shining green orb hung there, as if placed on an invisible rack.

Link plucked it from the sky. He peered into it intently. It was a perfect orb, with no chips or cracks. It shone with an eerie green glow. It didn't look particularly special, but he was sure this was the deal.

Link smiled and placed it in his tunic pocket. Finally, one down. Saria stepped down from the stump and pointed at the remains of the armor. In its place was a pool of white light. Since the Lost Kids stepped away from it, Link guessed it must have been good for the two of them.

"Let's go." Saria said simply. Together, she and Link stepped into the white light. The universe blinked, and they were no longer in the Lost Woods.

*******

They re-appeared next to Saria's house. Link sank down to his knees, completely exhausted. Saria rubbed his back, trying to improve his state. She looked up suddenly, and saw Mido striding towards them.

"You made it." Mido nodded. "So, I guess he'll be going now."

"Don't talk to him like he's not there Mido!" Saria chided.

"He's not." Mido responded, and gestured at the elf. Sure enough, Link was flat out on the soft grass next to Saria's house, fast asleep, and snoring rather loudly.

"Geez!" Saria groaned. "He's so lazy."

"Yeah…." Mido looked at her and sighed sadly. "Y…you're going with him, to get the other Keys aren't you? Don't try to deny it."

Saria frowned. "Yes…I am."

"Why?"

"I don't know Mido." Saria blurted. " I just…I just feel this is important."

Mido looked at her coldly, not letting any emotion out. "If that's how you feel, I'll have to ask you to leave, immediately." 

Saria nodded and bent down to wake Link up. The elf was still fast asleep, but he could walk with Saria's help. Holding on to him, she began to leave the Forest.

"You'll come back…wont you?" Mido thought. He wished he could say it to her, amongst other things…but he simply couldn't. Not now at least. But if not now, then when? Maybe never?

Mido couldn't think that. Instead he asked as Saria left, "What if he doesn't want you with him?"

Saria stopped and looked behind her, at the Kokiri and his fairy. She gave him a melancholy look that seemed to explain everything.

"He doesn't have a choice." She answered. With that, she and Link left to Kokiri Forest.

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END

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Next: **_The next Key, Water or Fire? And how will Link feel about Saria joining the party? Screw Link, how will Malon and Zelda take it? See ya next time._**


	8. Trial of Keys V2.4 ( Part 1)

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Trial of Keys 

V2.4

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By: (o'.')o

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Disclaimer: 

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Pikachu brought Zelda!! It's in the news! He's the new owner! But since he himself is owned by Nintendo, I suppose the Legend of Zelda and all subsequent related characters are property of Nintendo.

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Notes from the Author:

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This is the 8th installment in a series. To see the last few installments, visit Fanfiction.net , use the SEARCH for AUTHOR and type in (o'.')o. Sorry my name is so damn complicated, but you know how it is.

These characters have the same name, but are NOT the same characters from past Zelda games. Think of them being one in a long historical line.

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In the last Chapter:

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Link defeated the Lost Kids, and with the help of Saria and her fairy, Esea, he defeated the Boss of the Lost Woods to procure the Forest Key. That being done, Saria and Link leave to join the others on the quest for the other two keys. Link wasn't that conscious, however, when Saria decided to join.

And now, on with the story.

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The sun was beating down quite heavily on our intrepid group of travelers. Their number has now increased to four ( not including Esea )…with two horses between them. In layman's terms, this meant some of them had to walk.

Well...one of them actually. Link. Malon and Saria used Epona, while Zelda rode on her horse 'Destiny.'. Link grumbled as he trudged on through the beautiful Hyrulian landscape. He would have been riding Epona if Saria didn't _insist_ she come along the journey.

Link did enjoy Saria's company, after all, they did talk sometimes about the days when Link was younger, but not too much. However, Link felt betrayed. By the time he was fully conscious, the Kokiri woods had been locked away from them, and the other girls had accepted Saria in their journey. Without his input! _"I'm the bloody leader damn it!",_ Link thought.

The truth was, Link didn't want any of them traveling with him. It was far too dangerous. Link kept thinking about the hit Saria had received in the lost woods. If it wasn't for Esea, she'd be dead. There was no doubt about it. Link also knew that that kind of threat lingered over the heads of Malon and Zelda too. Link voiced his opinion, but they refused to leave. As far as they were concerned, it was their quest too. 

Link didn't buy it.

He also didn't buy the civility act between the three girls. Sure, they looked like they got along…but Link started to get used to their looks, and their body language. The way Zelda would peer at Saria and Malon sidelong from atop of her horse. The way Malon would talk with Saria, and laugh, while at the same time tensing up her upper body. Link saw the way Saria would communicate with the two, but refuse to look at them in the eye at the end of the discussion. Link was pretty sure, these girls were not getting along.

Link didn't know why. They came from different walks of life, sure enough, but they were all very likable. Why didn't they get along, he didn't know. What he did know, was that as long as they continued to not get along, there would be trouble. Link couldn't afford trouble…not now.

The girls decided it was high time for a break in the travel. So they found a patch of green with several thin trees placed around, and decided to rest there. A stream flowed next to the area, so it was the idea spot anyway.

Link immediately fell to his bottom, not looking at the other girls, feeling the heat and pressure leave his feet. He sighed and relief, and was thinking of his next route. Zelda looked at him from a few meters away and spoke.

"Where do we go, Link?" she asked, as if reading his mind. "Do you have an idea?"

Link didn't look back. "Well…fire and water…that's what we need right?" he glanced over to the flowing stream to his right. "Well, there's water over there."

Malon began to feed Epona. "Well, it should be in a holy or important Water place…like the Kokiri Water was for the Forest Key." Malon said, glancing at Link. "Maybe Lake Hylia?"

Link slowly shook his head. "You're right, Mally, but it's not Lake Hylia." He turned and looked at her, half smiling. "It's probably with the Zora."

Zelda nodded approvingly. Apparently, she had deduced the same thing. Link glanced at her with annoyance. "If you have ideas, Princess, would you mind sharing them with the rest of us?"

"But you're doing so well by yourself, Sage Link." she said sarcastically, rubbing her dress straight, and taking a seat under a tree.

Link sighed in exasperation. "Do you know how to get to Zora's Kingdom?" he asked her.

Zelda shrugged. "Without growing gills?" she smiled. "Yes, I know a way. We can go in a few hours."

"We can go now." Link said, getting up. He walked over to the princess, took her by both arms and pulled her to her feet. "Break-time's over, Princess. We move."

Zelda stared at him, blushing in anger …and something else. "How dare you!" she said between gritted teeth. "You ask before touching me!"

"I'm sorry… I'm getting senile in my old age.", Link smiled.

"Don't smile! And we're not going now! We just started our break!" Malon and Saria were watching the exchange intensely. Link glanced at them too.

"I'm the leader, we're moving now." He told her. "If you don't like it, then please…feel free to leave." Zelda stared at him, mouth open. Link gently brought a gloved hand up and brought her chin up to closer her mouth. Zelda's eyes widened…but Link wasn't finished.

When he saw that she wasn't moving, he put his arms around her waist and lifted her back atop Destiny…astride the horse…which wasn't the way Zelda rode. The young princess looked like she was going to explode. 

Link handed her reigns to her, then looked at the other two, who were staring shocked. "Well?" he said in a certain tone. Quickly, Malon and Saria got back atop Epona.

Link nodded and looked to Zelda. She was blushing furiously. "If you please, princess." He said, smiling. Zelda gave him a nasty look, re-positioned herself on her horse, and started moving.

Link sighed inwardly. _"Well, if they're gonna stick along…they'd better get used to some orders."_ He thought. Link straightened his boots and started walking along side Zelda, towards the Kingdom of Zora.

********

Zelda had taken them up to the Zora's Fountain, a giant Waterfall west of the Kokiri Forest. It was a mighty waterfall that stood alongside many natural rock formations that created platforms cases towards the Fall. They were difficult to navigate, and many times, the four had to wade in the cold water of the basin of the Falls.

Epona and Destiny were left in the field outside the entrance to the Fall Basin. Zelda and Saria had created a spell that would ward thieves away from the well-bred mares, while giving them ample room to graze and even gallop if they wanted to. It couldn't be helped, there was no way the horses would be able to make it up the Basin to the head of the Waterfall.

Eventually, Zelda, Link, Malon and Saria reached the top of the raging waters. Link looked down the ledge precariously. The water was so falling so hard, it would have pulverized small rocks. He gulped and glanced at Zelda.

"I can see an entrance through the water…how are we supposed to get through?" he asked her.

Zelda peered back at him, still irritated at the stunt he had pulled a few hours earlier. "We jump." She said.

"Jump!?"

"And hope we don't get crushed to death." Zelda smiled. "Of course, I can levitate with my power… you on the other hand." She glanced at the other girls knowingly. They put on a morbid smile.

Link nearly fainted right then and there. Zelda stifled a laugh with her slim gloved hand. She then raised her left palm against the raging Waterfall.

The symbol of the Triforce shone fiercely, especially the Triangle that represented **Farore, **the Goddess of **Wisdom. ** Link watched in awe as the waters began to flow slower and slower until they were just drips falling to the basin. The opening to the Kingdom of the Zora was completely cleared.

Link gaped at Zelda, then shook his head. "Don't….do that ….. again." he warned. Zelda simply laughed and skipped across into the opening. Malon and Saria both gave Link looks and followed her. 

Link hung his head. He simply thought _"Crap"_, and followed them in.

***********

Link and the others looked around in amazement. They thought the waterfall was impressive enough, but the inside of the Zora Domain was….mind-bogglingly amazing.

The walls of the giant cave were covered with a crystal that reflected the water that poured down from the higher rises of the cave, making the entire place look like it was accosted with falling water. A stone spiraling platform was created by the Zora to accommodate the Land Dwellers, several centuries ago at the advent of the Treaty with Hyrule and the other races.

The cavern wasn't the only thing to stare at, there were the Zoran people themselves. Most of them tall and proud. They were an attractive people in their own right, very athletic and muscular, with lean faces and sharp blue tinted eyes. All of them varied in the way the tendrils at the top of their heads were created. Some, like Ruto, had them created to fall around their face like thick hairs. Others had just one mighty tentacle that fell down their backs. All of the Zorans were completely buck-naked.

Link noticed another aspect of the Zora to stare at…actually, the Zoran woman. They were …uh….well...let's just say that when puberty rolled around, the Goddesses were very _very_ generous. The woman were well endowed…a quite many few of them. Link couldn't help but stare. Now he knew what Ruto had meant when she was complaining to him.*****

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*A Kid Named Link V1.2

Zelda peered at him, smiling sarcastically. "Enjoying yourself?" she asked simply "I'm glad you enjoy the view.". With that, she started up the platform, hiding a smile. That lone statement slammed Link back to reality, not to mention embarrassed the crap out of him. Link turned several shades of red and followed the princess and the other girls up the platform, staring at his boots the whole time.

"This…is so beautiful" Saria said quietly. Esea bobbed up and down in an exaggerated nod. "I've never seen anything like it." She took another step up the platform, when three splashes from the huge pool a few meters below them caught her attention.

Just like that, 3 tall Zoran males landed right in front of the foursome, the water quickly falling off their bodies. They were armed with 5 foot long tridents, and they were pointed at the party right now.

Link put his hand on his sword, but Zelda spoke up before any move could be made. "I am Princess Zelda of Hyrule." She said in a such a loud and commanding voice, that the Zora's were almost inclined to kneel and bow in front of her. " I've come here with Link and Malon of LonLon Ranch, and Saria of the Kokiri ." Saria bristled at that remark…but let it slide. "We've come by command of the Land Sage to seek the Water Key."

The Zoras looked at her coldly. "The Water Key is not here." The middle one said harshly. "Now Leave."

Zelda continued. "Well then, you should show us to your King. Maybe he would know how to…." She trailed off when she saw the shocked and murderous look in the Zora's faces. They leveled their Tridents and prepared to attack.

Zelda brought her hands around her, creating a sphere of blue energy. The first Zora attacked her, and his Trident broke off the invincible sphere. Malon, who had been carrying around her Quarter Staff this whole time, used it now. She slammed it between the ankles of the first Zora, and then yanked it to the side, bringing the man down hard on his back.

The other two attacked. Malon parried the attack of the second Zora, whipped around and brought the butt of her staff into his neck. He fell gasping for air. More Zora where now jumping up into the platform. 

Saria whipped out her Ocarina and began to play a slow melodious sound. The Zora around them suddenly became woozy, only for a few seconds. This allowed the girls to push the back down into the Pool below.

Link smiled. This was more fun than fighting himself, and less deadly too, not to mention he enjoyed the view. Pretty girls fighting naked fish people aside, he decided it was time to try negotiations again, when a Zora grabbed him from behind, his powerful arms locked around Links chest.

"H…Hey!" Link gasped, before the Zora pulled him down several meters into the Pool below.

"Link!" the girls cried. Link splashed hard into the Pool below. 

Zelda was turned and stormed up the platform, completely enraged. If she'd have to take the King hostage to end this, she would.

Mean while, Link was several feet in the water, when he managed to break out from the Zora's grasp. Instead of going up for air, Link dove further into the depths, snatching a rock off the floor of the pool. He swam back to the surface, breaking water and gasping heavily for breath. Link then made it to the shore, where several Zora awaited him.

"Did you just take that rock from the floor?", one asked in amazement. Link looked at him, then the rock. He was soaked and tired, and he supposed he didn't know what he was thinking.

"Yeah…" he admitted. "I dunno, I guess I was going to bash someone's head in or something."

The Zora looked amongst themselves. It seemed that they were impressed by this feat of aquatics. Link straightened. "Hey, we came in peace! Why'd you attack us!?"

The Zora conferred amongst themselves again. Then the one that spoke to Link earlier spoke to him again. "You said you wanted to see the King. The King had informed us not to even dare think of letting anyone see him. He considered all that isn't Zora an enemy."

Link was puzzled. "Hey…I thought we were all allies?" he said with a look demanding an answer.

The Zora's looked at themselves again, then looked at Link. The one talking to him sighed. "The princess is missing."

********

Atop the spiral platform, Zelda was being held back by a half-dozen scrambling Zora. While Zelda didn't have any offensive spells, her sphere was nearly impenetrable, and that meant she could mow down whoever was in her way. 

In this case, she had her cutters set on the huge, sad faced Zoran that sat on the crystal boulder across the small lake from her.

Saria and Malon looked at her with concern. "Zelda…don't you think this is a bit much?" Malon asked gently.

"After what they did to Li--" Zelda stopped and corrected herself. "—to _me_, this isn't enough!" she raged. She expanded the sphere around her, flinging all the Zora that were pressing themselves against it several feet in all directions.

"Hey, relax" a voice called from behind her. Zelda looked back and saw Link walking up the platform, surrounded by a platoon of Zora.

"You idiot!" she chided, "You let them take you prisoner!"

"No I didn't!" Link shot back. He pointed up to the King that sat silently across the pool. " He ordered them to do that because he's depressed. His daughter, the princess, is missing."

Immediately, Zelda dropped her shield. She knew that if she was missing, her father would tear down Kingdom looking for her. She had told her High-Guard what she was planning to do, and that he should relay the message to the King. Zelda knew that if she had told him directly, she never would have been able to leave the castle.

Zelda turned, golden curls swinging, towards the king. "I apologize, my Lord." She said humbly.

"**Leave**." The king sighed in a voice so deep, it resonated among the crystal walls.

"We can't!" Malon exclaimed. "We need to find the Water Key! Please, my Lord…If you can help."

"**Leave**" the king of the Zora repeated

Link walked up, standing next to Zelda. "Sir…on my honor, if you help me find the Water Key, I will find your daughter."

Zelda turned sharply at Link. "_No!_" she mouthed. "We have no time for that!!"

Link continued. "I swear to you and the Goddesses, no matter how long it takes, I wont rest until I find the Princess!"

The other Zora gasped. The King brought his head up to look at Link. Zelda and Malon stood wide-eyed, horrified. Saria just looked sadly at Link. They knew that it could take forever to find this Princess. They had no idea where to even begin to look. Link had just completely sabotaged their quest.

Link knew it too. He had to do it though, the King knew where to get the Water Key, and he wasn't speaking. He needed something shocking enough to pull him out of his grief, so that he could tell Link what he needed to know.

Link only prayed the Goddesses would show him mercy and help him look for this girl.

The King looked at Link for a long time. Link saw the intense grief in his face_. "He'd be willing to do anything."_ Link thought. _"That's both a good thing…and a bad thing_."

The King brought a hand up slowly, and Malon, Zelda and Saria winked out of existence. Link darted forward into the space where they were at.

"**Find the Water Key, then bring me my daughter.**", Grumbled the grief-stricken King. "**Bring her to me in exchange of those three**."

"My Lord!" Link shouted. "You can trust my wor-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Link too vanished from the company of the King.

*******

Link landed on the soft ground with a wet thud. He got to his feet quickly, not wanting to get too wet. The ground was soaked and soft…and pink. He looked around, the surroundings were pink and…organic…not at all like the pretty surroundings of the Zora's Cavern. It smelled worse too. Much worse…like rotting fish.

Link took a squishy step forward, and noticed something bulbous hanging from the ceiling above him. On a hunch, he unsheathed his sword, and poked the object. It wiggled, along with the entire cavern. 

Link spread his arms to balance himself during the vibrations. When it stopped, he turned around slowly, he had a good idea where he was, but he needed to be sure.

In front of him were rows upon rows of huge, yellow teeth. Most of them had scraps of flesh between them. Link gulped and cursed silently.

He knew he now had to navigate the insides of a giant fish.

****

NEXT: Remember way back in a Kid Named Link v1.2, at the end of Ruto's meeting with him. Yeeeep that's right. Heh heh. Thought I'd ignore that? Next chapter, Link does navigate the inside of a giant fish, to confront an unexpected threat. Can he kill two birds with one stone? Please Review this one. Thanks, and see ya! (o'.')o 


	9. Trial of Keys V2.4 ( Part 2 )

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Trial of Keys

V2.4b

By: (o'.')o [pc_prettycool@email.com]

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Disclaimer:

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……. I forget. Oh wait. Legend of Zelda is copyright of Nintendo. Is that right?

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Note from Author

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If you read this fic, please review it. Oh, and if you actually like this fic, I encourage you to check out the other fics. This series should go in 3 Part Volumes…The first part being A Kid Named Link. The Second Part being Trial of Keys. Read em and enjoy.

This part I call 2.4b. It's too much on the same vein to me called 2.5. I thought 2.5 was too short, did you? Well this part is fairly long. Sorry. (v-_-)

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I said somewhere that there would be four girls featured in this series. I was mistaken. I meant 5. Five girls around Link? That's one spicy meat-a-ball!

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Last Chapter:

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It seemed obvious that no matter how harshly they acted towards one another, Link and Zelda were enjoying ( in some childish combative way ) each others company. That's how it went, when they finally reached the Kingdom of the Zora. They tried to ask the King for help, only to be attacked by soldiers. It seemed the Princess of the Zora was missing, and the King was too depressed to help them. Link promised to find the Princess, to Zelda's chagrin, and he was teleported to the inside of a giant fish to look for the Water Key. Zelda Malon and Saria were transported elsewhere….

****

And on with the story

*********

Not even the darkness of the cell the girls were held in could contain Zelda's rage. Even the guards outside the barred door felt a bit wary about being so close to the enraged girl. Saria was a bit wary of Zelda too, but Malon just looked at her in complete fascination.

"That IDIOT!" Zelda fumed. "I'll kill him! I'll gut him alive, and I'll _make_ him enjoy it!" She paced around the room, not able to sit down or stand still anywhere.

"I just hope the Zoran King lets him find the Water Key first." Saria murmured. She didn't exactly like the idea of Link searching high and low for this princess, _then_ fighting for the Water Key.

The whole situation ranked on the young Hyrulian monarch. "His damn mouth!" she exclaimed. "How could he have been so _thoughtless!_" She crossed her arms underneath her breasts and scowled evilly. "Was he even thinking? _Can_ he even think!? We'll be here forever because of him now." 

Zelda's anger finally caught up to her, and she was exhausted. She took a seat equidistant of both Malon and Saria and placed a fist underneath her chin. "And the future of my Kingdom rests on the shoulders of that dingbat." She sighed. "What a joke."

Malon glanced at the girl, not particularly liking the way she continued to badmouth Link as she did. She shrugged. "Link is always like that. He always does what he thinks needs to be done…hardly thinking of the 'ifs' or 'buts'…"

"Or consequences!" Zelda interjected.

Malon shrugged again. "Well…his instincts are usually right."

"Bah!" Zelda huffed. She whispered something about Malon needing to wake up, before bringing her knees close to her. 

Saria watched the Princess too. She was a very intriguing person, and the way she interacted with Link was something else. Zelda was also very beautiful…she almost looked like a Goddess herself. 

Even in these conditions, her skin continued to look soft and smooth , her hair as shiny and as full as the most expensive silk, her face, her eyes. Malon too looked every bit the beautiful buxom young woman. Saria wondered why she looked that way. Saria herself still looked…well almost still like a kid, while Zelda and Malon were visually entering the stage of womanhood.

Saria thought it might have been because she had just started to 'age' herself, and her body was still going through the motions. Still, it was a little daunting. A small part of Saria thought she was competing with this girls, and with their looks, she felt as if she were at a disadvantage.

Saria shook those thoughts out of her head. They were unimportant, it was time for her to deposit her own two rupees in.

"What's bothering you Zelda?" she asked innocently. Esea snuggled on her elbow, trying to catch some sleep for the first time since they had reunited with Link. Her glow dimmed, reducing the light in the already dark room. Saria could hardly see the incredulous look on Zelda's face.

"What's bothering me??" Zelda repeated. She waved her hand around the room and looked sharply at the ex-Kokiri. "What do you _think_ is bothering me!?"

"Aside from that." Saria continued quietly. "What's made you so angry at Link….really."

Zelda stared at her as if she had no right to ask such a question. Then she brought her knees up closer to her chest and rested her hands in them. "He's so quick to give himself to people…to their quests, their agendas…." Zelda explained.

"I'm just afraid he'll volunteer for one thing too many, and then he'll die." She sighed and finished quickly, "And how will that bode for Hyrule, if he's the only one that can wield the **Master Sword**."

Saria nodded, understanding Zelda's explanation. Malon however, caught something else in the Princess's words…moreover, her voice. It wavered slightly when she said 'then he'll die'.

Malon knew that the Princess had some feelings towards Link. She didn't know whether it was a need in Link to complete the mission, or something more. Whatever it was, it forced Malon to examine her feelings too, and at the young man she had such strong affections for. Examinations she could do without.

The young farm heiress sighed inwardly. Maybe he was right, it was probably not a good idea to join Link on his quest after all.

*******

Link had traveled the insides of the large fish for nearly an hour now. He had no idea the thing was so damn huge. Link had narrowly missed the long tunnel that he knew led to the stomach, where the strong acids would have devoured him alive. Link was also lucky enough to avoid 2 other such tunnels just like the first one. He didn't know the fish had more than one passage that led to the stomach.

He now navigated a narrow corridor, the walls pulsing and beating as if _alive ( which of course, they were.)_ Many symbiotic and parasitic organisms traveled along those walls. One such organism, a blue transparent Jellyfish, came towards Link menacingly.

Link waited until it was 2 feet away from him, then he bent his knees and whipped his sword out of his sheath with terrific speed. The 180 degree attack hit the jellyfish dead on.

And Link got electrocuted for his trouble.

The Jellyfish glided away, laughing inside. Link lay on the floor of the corrordor in a smoking heap. Slowly he got up, lashing out with every curse and swear he ever learned from Ingo at Lon-Lon Ranch.

__

"Dammit!" he thought finally, when the cursing was over._ "I hate this! It's wet, it's sticky…and…and…..IT SMELLS!"_ he exploded. He was about to scream his frustrations across the caverns of the fish when something else filled the air.

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"Get your dirty hands off me!" he heard. Link's sharp ears perked up, picking up the words even more clearly.

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" I said let me go! You're so dead!"

__

"Please.." a voice begged. "Try to be reasonable…"

"REASONABLE!??!"

Link recognized the voice…there was no doubt I his mind who it was. Still, he had to go look. He followed the trail of the voices through several narrow passages. Finally, he reached a wall that blocked the rest of the way.

"What the…" Link started in frustration. He had heard those voices! He was about to turn back when the floor opened up beneath him. Link didn't even have time to yell before he was plummeting several meters down the monster fish's tube. He thought it would lead straight into the stomach, where his quest would end right then and there.

Instead, he landed right on his duff, on a wet squishy ground. Again, Link cursed, before getting to his feet slowly. In front of him, two Zoran people were having a confrontation. One of them was a young girl, chained to the wall of the giant fish. The other was a tall, lanky man, who held a trident in one hand. Link didn't know that one, but he knew the girl.

"Ruto." He said, a bit puzzled. The girl looked at him and gave him a dazzling smile. Link shot back a half smile. That Ruto, she always had a way of making people do that.

"Goddesses! Cliff!" she exclaimed. " I can't believe it, you actually came to save me!" she waved her head over to the man next to her. "Go on, kill him, then cut me loose."

Link put a hand on his hip, examining the situation. The other Zora looked at Ruto incredulously. "You actually know this Elf?" he asked, shocked.

"Of course!" Ruto spat. "He's a dear dear friend of mine, and he's going to kill you. How do you like that you jerk!"

The Zoran shook his head. "The Princess of the Zora, cavorting with Elves. It's worse than I thought. The Zoran people will be doomed. There needs to be a change.

Link's eyes grew wide. _"Ruto….Princess of the Zora…._ of course, _I should have known before_" Link thought. For some reason, she never struck him as the Princessly type. She certainly wasn't like Zelda. Link looked at Ruto deeply now, and suddenly realized why she had been so upset about her body. She was the Princess, she had to be scrutinized and observed everyday. She was as old as the other buxom grils of her race, but look at her. She was so….petite! Even compared to Saria! No wonder she thought herself inadequate.

Link genuinely thought it was all hogwash. He really did think that Ruto was very attractive…well…for a Zoran anyway. 

"You, boy!" The Zoran blasted, pointing his Trident at him. "Take your eyes of the Princess. They are not worthy, Elven filth."

Link sighed. "Cliff!" Ruto yelled. "He's gonna kill me and take over the Kingdom. He said so himself, he'll toss me in Jabu-Jabu's stomach! Kill him now! Skewer him with that sword of yours!"

Link was inclined to do so, just for the fun of it, but the other Zora had other ideas. He walked towards Link menacingly, brandishing his Trident.

"This is between the Princess and I boy." He scowled. "Forgive me for cutting your life so short." With that, he lounged at Link with the Trident.

Link parried with the handle of his blade, and with one swift underhand, sliced the Trident clean in half.

Link sheathed his sword and put a hand on his hip, staring at the stunned Zoran. The lanky man looked up at him in horror. "You……you….." he gasped. Then he broke into a run. Before Link could move, he was through an air-hole that acted like a door and completely out of site.

Ruto laughed at the scene. "Did you see the look on his face?!" Ruto said, beaming. "You sure showed him Cliff. Now cut me down, pweeese?"

Link rolled his eyes. "You don't have to ask like that." he admonished. Several quick swipes with his blade, an Ruto was free from her shackles. Immediately, she went at Link for an embrace.

"Thaaaaank you!" she said, snuggling against his shoulder. "That guy was such a pain, don't you think?"

Link nodded tersely, keeping his hands away from Ruto's body. She was naked, after all. "Uh..wh..who was that guy anyway?" Link asked, mostly to get Ruto thinking about something else.

She stepped back from him and smiled. "**Kardo**. He's an anarchist. He thinks he's so smart, it's annoying. Plus he's a lousy conversationalist." Ruto complained. 

Link was amazed. She was at the mercy of a terrorist for who knows how many hours, and she didn't seem at all frightened. She wondered if she truly realized what had just happened, how much danger she was really in..

"Well, enough of that." Ruto said. She locked her arm around his and smiled at him. "Take me home." She asked. 

Link suddenly remembered his duel-mission, find the Water Key, find the Princess. One of those objectives were actually accomplished. "Princess, do you know where I can find the Water Key?"

Ruto looked at him, seriousness crossing over her eyes, but only for a moment. "I dunno. Why?"

"I need it."

Ruto crossed her arms. "I think my father knows. He'll tell you. First take me home." Link didn't think he had any choice but to comply. However, he kept thinking about how King Zora sent him here to look for the Water Key…not his daughter. It had to be here, somewhere.

*********

After a few hours of traveling through the tunnels of the creature Link now knew to be the Zora's demi-god, Jabu-Jabu, he finally realized how lost he really was.

Link stopped and crossed his arms, trying to get a bearing of where he was. Usually, it'd be hard to get his bearings inside of a live giant fish…but this one was completely still. He wondered if it was dead.

"No." Ruto explained. "Lord Jabu-Jabu is comatose. We're probably miles below the ocean right now." She placed her hands on her hips and looked around the area. "This isn't good Cliff. You got us lost."

"Princess, why didn't you tell me you were Royalty when we first met?" Link asked suddenly. The question had been nagging on his mind the past few minutes.

Ruto looked at him in surprise. "Cause." She answered. "I didn't want to." She saw the look on Link's face and continued. "Hey, it's not like I'm not the only one who keeps secrets,_ Chain…Link….Fence_!"

Link's face suddenly turned several shades of red. "Uhhh….."

Ruto laughed, flinging her arms around his neck. "Yeah, like I'm really going to fall for a name like that!"

Link sighed, completely mortified. He was chuckling slightly too. Ruto certainly was a joy to be around. She took some of his worries off of his back. One worried that still remained was the worry that he would become unprepared for battle.

Almost as if he prophesied it, a giant tentacle came swinging from the roof of the open corridor. It wrapped around Link tightly, swinging his body across the room, hitting Ruto along the way. Ruto fell to her bottom, and Link smashed hard against the side of the wall. 

Link looked up at his assailant. A giant squid fell from the roof of the corridor, obviously under the control of Kardo, who fell through the roof behind the creature.

"Bring me the Princess." He demanded. A tentacle shot out from the creature, wrapping itself fully around Ruto's small body before she could object. Link shot to his feet and pulled out his blade, lounging at the squid. It blocked his attack with one tentacle, and punched him hard in the stomach with another.

Ruto was whipped into Kardo's arms, where he held her as he watched the squid pummel Link with its half dozen tentacles. Link was being smashed around, not able to get a good swipe at the sea-creature.

"Damned Elf." Kardo snarled. "Get what you deserve, boy." Ruto tried to yell something, but Kardo quickly covered her mouth with a large white hand.

Link was smashed flat to the ground by another tentacle. He got to his knees, bleeding from the nose and mouth. Another attack came at him from 3 sides. Link decided to go on the defensive. He slashed quickly at the three tentacles that came to hit him. Their pieces hit the ground of the cavern, quivering sickly.

Again, Link tried for a frontal attack, only to be smashed aside by three more tentacles. Link rolled back, getting to his feet and stumbling a couple of steps. He was panting heavily. This creature had the perfect defense and attack, and he had no way of getting through it.

But he'd keep trying, even if it killed him. 

Kardo was laughing hard at the fight, when his hand exploded in pain. Ruto bit down hard on it, hard enough to draw blood. Kardo screamed and pulled his hand aside, and Ruto relayed her message to the young elf. 

"Behind it, Cliff, behind!!" Ruto yelled, before being slapped across the face by the enraged Zoran. Link ignored his assault for now, and leapt several feet into the air, landing hard on bent knees behind the squid.

Before the Squid could have time to turn, Link brought his sword up in a sweeping arc, tearing a bloody rent through the back of the creature. The squid screamed in pain, as blood and viscera bubbled from it's dying body.

Link jumped to the top of the creatures head, now unprotected by flailing tentacles, and jabbed his sword straight into the squids head. The sea-beast quivered for a moment, then died quickly. 

Korda yelped as the creature died. Link half-turned towards the Zoran, and gave him a positively criminal look, his light brown eyes peering through strands of dirty blonde hair. Link wore a scowl that would have melted stone.

Korda took a step back, then another. "You….you can't face me, Elf!" he stammered. "Don't even try it. I'll kill you, I swear!"

Link just stared at him, hardly breathing despite the exercise he just endured.

Korda took yet another step back, when Ruto appeared to his left and shoved him hard in the chest. Karda stumbled, then fell on a marked section of the floor. Immediately, the section opened, and Korda fell through, screaming all the way.

Ruto panted, then shrugged at Link. "That….leads to the stomach. His own fault!" she said defensively. Link nodded slowly. Ruto did what she had to do, still, it was a brutal ending for the short-known Kardo. 

All of a sudden, right between Link and Ruto, a pillar of light appeared. It was the same that Link saw in the Lost Woods. It would probably take them out of Jabu-Jabu's insides. 

"Princess, don't step in it!" he started, when a lurch of Jabu-Jabu sent both Link and Ruto off their feet. The Demi-God had finally awakened. The two bounced around the cavern, narrowly missing pipes that lead to the stomach, before they fell into the pillar of light, and winked out of existence.

*********

It was completely dark…and wetter than anything. So wet, that there was no room for air inside it's dampness. Link opened his mouth, trying in a desperate attempt to breath. It was fruitless. Link laughed in his mind. He couldn't believe it was about to be over….and by drowning. He had countless other ways in which he preferred to die. Drowning wasn't one of them.

He sank into the murky depths, his lungs seeming to burst into flame. The pain in his chest was intense. Link felt so helpless, so stupid…for dying like this…in such a painful and helpless manner. He thought of Malon and Zelda, how they would have scolded him for dying like this. He thought of Saria. Maybe she'd return to the Kokiri after this. Probably not, but it was a thought…and that was all he had right now.

Suddenly, Link had something else. Feeling. He felt a cold pair of lips upon his. He forced open his eyes and saw Ruto in front of him, her mouth completely covering his. What was she doing? She pressed her hands on his face, not removing her mouth form his for a second. Link noticed the slits on the sides of her neck opening and closing rapidly. Ruto was breathing for two now.

She pumped her legs, dragging herself and Link against the pressure of the water, and up to the surface. Link was never underwater for this long a time. It was almost surreal. He lost track of time, concentrating only on Ruto's face as she breathed for him on the way to the surface.

Finally, they broke water, and as soon as they did, Ruto broke away from him, breathing heavily. Link gasped like it was going out of style, taking in as much sweet air as he possibly could.

When he was finally normalized, he looked around his surroundings. He recognized this place as Lake Hylia. They must have been transported to the bottom of the huge lake. Link slowly swam to the shore with Ruto, where they both crawled and lay, absolutely spent.

After a while, when he could finally do so, Link spoke. "Princess…you saved my life." He panted. He turned his head and glanced at the girl who was laid out a foot away from him.

"You owe me." She gasped.

"What are you talking about?" Link smiled. "I saved your ass back there in Jabu-Jabu's belly."

"Cliff?" 

"Yes?"

She got up on her elbows and peered at Link intensely. "Call me 'Ruto'" she asked.

Link nodded. "You got it. But , you should be calling me 'Link' now."

Ruto fell again on to her back, shaking her head. "Nu-uh! That's our special name."

"What?"

"It's the name you gave to me and only me Cliff." Ruto smiled. "I'm gonna use it, and you're gonna answer to it. Understand?"

Link sighed. He wasn't in the mood to argue. He was alive, and he was glad about that…but he ultimately failed in his mission.

"Uh…Cliff?"

Link turned. Ruto held a small blue orb out in front for him. Link gaped at her, then the orb, then back at her. "This is-?"

"The Water Key. I had it in the hollow in my back, one under each wing." She said quietly. She placed the orb in Link's hand. "Here. You said you needed it right?"

Link clenched his fist around the Key. "Thank you."

Ruto smiled, and again fell to her back. "So, I guess you'll be taking me back home now, right?"

"Right."

Ruto sighed. "And then you'll go on your merry way."

"Yup."

"I guess it can't be helped." Ruto acknowledged.

Link turned and peered at her. He knew she had something up her sleeve. He'll have to investigate further. First thing is to return to Zora's Kingdom and get the girls released from wherever they are. Link suddenly thought of something.

"Ruto…if I'm going to take you back home, you're going to have to wear something." Link said, as seriously as possible.

"No way!" Ruto said, appalled.

"Just a little something!" Link begged. Ruto shook her head stubbornly. Link sighed and pressed on. He had a little time now, and this was one argument he didn't plan on losing.

********

Time has passed

Korda opened his eye, and awoke in a vat of green water. He didn't know what it was or what it was for…all he knew as hurt, and pain. The pain was unimaginable. He opened the half of his mouth that still remained to scream.

A figure loomed in front of him. He wore a long tuke, with a shoal that covered all of his face except the bridge of his nose and his eyes. He wore black cloth all around him, and his left gauntlet featured a single yellow triangle. He peered at the half-man in the vat in front of him.

"Who did this to you?" a young male voice asked. Korda didn't know who this….this demon was, and he was in too much pain to care. 

He blurted the information out for him gladly. "Cliff….she….called…him…" he struggled.

"Cliff. He's using a pseudonym?" The figure rubbed his hidden chin with his gloved hand. "Do I remind you of him?"

"yes….." Korda gurgled. "But…green…."

The figure nodded and turned to leave the room. Korda widened his eye in fear. "Wait….what….help…me…" he pleaded.

"You are being helped." The figure said, opening the door to the outside of the room.

Korda screamed. "ppaaiinn…"

The figure paused halfway out the door. "They say pain is a good appetizer, when serving vengeance." For a split second, Korda swore the figure underneath the black cloth had blood red eyes and a…pig snout.

The figure closed the door behind him, the agony filled-sounds of the once-Zoran inside now filling the halls of the old building.

****

NEXT: Sorry again for the length. Next Chapter, The final Key awaits. You can probably guess where they're gonna search for it. It's almost too predictable…hmmmmm maybe I'll put a twist in it next chapter. Be sure to read it. Please Review me, thanks a lot, and see ya next time!


	10. Trial of Keys V2.5 ( Part 1)

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Trial of Keys. 

V2.5a

By: (o'.')o

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Disclaimer: 

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Wait a minute….why should I put a disclaimer up here? Fanfiction.net already has a site wide disclaimer. Should I continue to put disclaimers up here? Tradition? I dunno….you tell me J

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Note from Me:

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This part, V2.5, concerns the fire key, and again will be split into two parts. Both parts will come out very soon of each other. Sorry, I know this is a pain, but I feel it's the best way to do this. 

Secondly, I want to thank those who reviewed. Thanks a lot, for the input, I really **really** appreciate it! Keep reviewing! Thanks! 

Hey, anyone heard the Malon song with actual words!? It's kinda cool! IP: **http://166.90.143.145:11492/** for** Nintendo Nation** radio.( Relax, I don't run it. I'm just a listener. ) I forget, but one of these stations have it. I didn't know Malon sang to Epona in Japanese ;)

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Last Chapter:

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Our hero navigated the belly of the giant fish and eventually found, to his surprise, Ruto…the Zoran girl he had conversed with way back in** A Kid Named Link v1.2.** It seems **Ruto** is the missing Zoran Princess ( Who would have thunk it? ) and was being held hostage in the belly of their Demi-God** Jabu-Jabu** by **Kardo**, a Zoran anarchist. In any case, after defeating Kardo's giant squid, Link rescued the princess, nearly drowning for his trouble. But Ruto exchanged the favor, saving Link's life and bringing him to the shore of Lake Hylia, where she also gives him the Water Key. 

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Thanks for your patience. Now on with the story.

By Malon's estimate, it was around midnight, when the door to the cell the girls were in began to rattle. She and the others looked up and stood as it was opened. A burly Zoran guard stood directly in the doorway, and then stood aside.

Malon and Saria's face brightened when they saw who was behind the guard. Link stood there, a little soggy, and smelling a bit like fish, but otherwise okay. He smiled and nodded to the girls, offering his hands to them. Malon and Saria accepted them and left the cell. Zelda followed closely, not showing any emotion.

Malon then noticed the small Zoran girl standing closely next to Link. A little too closely for her taste. Link saw her look and explained quickly. "Malon, Saria, Zelda…this is Ruto, Princess of the Zora."

Malon and Saria let out a small gasp. "You mean…you actually found her!?" Saria exclaimed. Link nodded triumphantly, hands on his hips, and grinning like the cat who swallowed the canary.

Zelda smiled in spite of herself and shook her head. "You're unbelievable." She muttered. Link wasn't sure if that was a compliment or an insult.

Ruto saw the look on the girls faces and piped up, "Oh, it wasn't like he was even trying! My father practically teleported me into my arms." She said, nudging Link with a finned elbow. Malon studied the girl, she was petite, even more than Saria, but she held herself as if she were as old as the others.

__

"Maybe she is." Malon thought. She also wondered why this Zora was the only Zora in the Kingdom with the decency to cover herself. She was barely wearing anything, a small seaweed skirt and a thick strand of weed to wrap around her breasts. Malon thought if Link had anything to do with this anomaly.

Ruto turned to Link. "You're friends are free to go." She said. "Sorry about all this trouble."

"It was my pleasure, Princess." Link said, taking Ruto's small hand and kissing it gently. The girls wore a slight look of shock on their faces, but only for a millisecond. All except for Zelda, who scoffed.

"No offense, mighty hero, but I think she was referring to our trouble." Zelda said roughly. Link withdrew with a sudden quickness. Ruto just smiled and nodded.

"Yup. Princess Zelda, wow." She exclaimed. " It's so great to finally meet you. I wish we had more time…"

Zelda smiled warmly. "Me too, Princess. Unfortunately, we have business." She turned to Link sternly. "Link…if you have the Water Key, I think we should hurry."

Link nodded, then turned to Ruto anxiously, expecting her to proclaim her plan of joining him and the others on Link's quest.

However, that didn't happen. Instead, Ruto took Links hands in hers and peered into his brown eyes. "Cliff, if you ever need help, rest assured we will assist." She said quietly. "Just put your hands in the waters, we'll hear you." 

She got up on her toes and planted a light kiss on Link's cheek. Ruto sighed as she got back down. "Good luck." She said simply.

Link stared at her for a moment, then he realized that he was being watched by umpteen amount oif people. He bowed graciously. "Thank you.", he said. Gesturing to the other girls, he left the dungeons and out of the Zoran Kingdom, sure to be getting questions from the girls on why in the world Ruto had called him 'Cliff'.

Ruto stared at him as he left, for the first time with a look of deep seriousness. That look faded quickly and she crossed her arms and sighed. "He is cute though." She said to herself. She beckoned the guards that were waiting at her feet, and left for the palace cavern of the Zoran Kingdom.

********

A few hours later, Link, Malon, Saria and Zelda were traveling along the plains of Hyrule once again. Link and Malon took the lead, atop of Epona, while Saria and Zelda rode together on Destiny. Link seemed to have a good idea of where he was going.

Zelda noticed they were heading West of the Zoran Kingdom, towards Kakkariko Village. "Link." she called, " where are you headed."

"You already know don't you, Princess?" Link called back, smiling sarcastically.

"Don't start with me, knucklehead! I just spent half a day in a dank rotting dungeon thanks to you!" Zelda retorted. " I'm not in the mood for any of your lip."

Link sighed, utterly defeated. "My guess is that the final key lies in Death Mountain." He said. "Instead of going straight there though, I'm going to the Goron Village. Maybe King Goron has it in his possession."

Malon looked at him curiously. "What makes you think that?" she asked.

Link glanced back at her. "I remember hearing how Goron's like their rocks, especially the rare ones. Goron probably has it stashed away." He glanced back at Zelda, giving her another smile. " I'm sure he'll let me use it if Zelda asks him nicely."

Zelda scoffed again , Saria laughing silently behind her. "Bah" she thought. All that being said, the group continued on towards Death Mountain.

****************

The group rested a while in Kakkariko, getting their clothes cleaned and their bodies washed from their 'ordeal' with the Zora. They insisted that Link bathe first, not because of his well being, but for theirs. They cited the smell Link was giving off as toxic and lethal to Elven health.

Link sat in the hot tub, fuming at that last remark_. "Yeah, next time YOU volunteer to wade around in the belly of a giant friggin fish." _He thought viciously. The small room was equipped with the steamer and tub for washing, and Link had to admit, the heat of the water felt pretty darn good on his aching body.

Link tried to recall the events of the last few days. Him and Zelda visiting that strange Sage who refused to reveal his name, his losing control in the Lost Woods and nearly taking it out on Saria, his tough battles against the Armor, and the giant Squid. Link was pretty sure there would be a few more terrible battles to go through.

Link thought about these past few events until his head hurt. To alleviate the pain, he sunk his head and feet under the water, completely submerged. He stayed there until the water stilled, attempting to make a game to see how long he could hold his breath.

***

The door opened silently and Zelda walked in on soft slippers., her body wrapped in a feathery towel. She insisted that she would be next after Link, her entire princessly facade an mess after that happening with the Zora. She saw that the room was empty, and as she usually does, stepped out of her slippers and unwrapped her towel…

Link bounded out of the water, gasping heavily. Zelda looked at him, her beautiful face a look of pure horror. Link sat in the water, panting. "Yeah! That had to be at least two minu…" he started appraisingly to himself, until he turned and looked at the figure staring at him.

The two locked eyes, then Zelda whipped her towel around herself again, while Link whipped his head away from her general direction, covering his head with his arms.

Link risked a peek at the Princess. Her face was an entire shade of scarlet. Her mouth was working to get words out…but she couldn't manage to say anything. Link decided to try something.

He turned to her and smiled weakly. "H.hiya." he started. "Umm……bath's taken." He said, shrugging.

Zelda had no idea how long her towel had not been covering her body…maybe a second…maybe a half…but that didn't matter. What mattered is that he saw! He saw what he had no right to see. She looked at Link in front of her, and was suddenly taken over by pure rage. Holding her towel with one hand, she whipped her other hand at the door. "GET……OUT!!!" she blasted.

Link leaned back from the verbal assault. "Bu…..but it's still my turn…"

"OUT!!!"

"I'm still not clean!" he begged. Zelda found another towel and whipped it at his face.

"NOW! OR YOUR QUEST WILL END RIGHT HERE IN THE BLOODY HOTTUB!"

__

"Well...can't argue with that." Link thought, as he quickly wrapped the towel around himself and bounded from the room, as if his life depended on it.

Which, of course, it did.

*******

An hour later, all four of them were at the base of the path that led to the Goron Village. Malon and Saria couldn't understand why Link and Zelda were acting so strangely. Link acted like he was afraid for his life, and Zelda as if she wanted to kill something. This strange behavior was all the more reason to be shocked at Zelda's next suggestion.

"I think Link and I should see Goron by ourselves." She said, her voice devoid of emotion. Malon and Saria glanced at themselves.

"Is that such a good idea?" Saria asked. 

"We've come this far together, why split up now?" Malon asked, a bit offended by the suggestion. Didn't she prove she was able to fend for herself, or did they still consider her just a farm girl?

This time, Link spoke up. "The fact is, to get the Fire Key from the Gorons, only Zelda is needed. If she asks, they'll give it to her by obligation of the Treaty." He paused, glancing at her…then looking Malon straight in the eye. "If they don't have it, then it's probably somewhere in Death Mountain. I'll be going there alone."

"Link--"

"No buts. No one is going with me to Death Mountain. Not Zelda not you or Saria, not anyone!" Link stared at her now, and Malon could see that he was deadly serious.

"So…so what are we supposed to do…just sit here and wait for you to come back?" she asked, a hint of apprehension in her voice.

"Yes." Zelda answered.

"If the Gorons have it, we'll be back within two hours." Link explained. "If they don't have it, Zelda will leave for Kakkariko and join you back here." Link sighed and continued quietly, "I'll be back, that's a promise."

"And you always keep your promises, right?" Saria asked, smiling at him.

Link nodded, reassured at her acceptance. "Darn straight." He answered.

Malon crossed her arms, not looking at anyone in particular. "Fine." She agreed.

Link nodded again, putting a hand on her shoulder. He and Zelda then started up the path to the Goron Village.

*******

The path up to the Goron Village was an artificially made path, constructed up the 'Silent' side of Death Mountain, to make it easier for travelers to brave the Volcano, even when it was active. This side of the path was purged of monsters and animals like Tektites, and was made only to reach the Goron Village. Travelers who wanted to enter Death Mountain straight from Kakkariko, would have to take the hard way.

Link wished there were monsters to fight, anything that would break the awful silence on the way to the Gorons. He glanced at Zelda, still not able to take the picture of her in the bathing room out of his mind, even though he saw her only for a second. Link wasn't even sure he wasn't imagining what he saw, after all the time was so short, he couldn't have seen _everything_.

This was really frustrating. He had seen Ruto nude for an even longer time, and thought nothing of it. Why the hell was Zeldaso different? Maybe because she was Elven….and that made it slightly more difficult…maybe it because she was a Princess, and there were men hired to take the eyes out of people who had seen what he had saw….

…maybe it was because she was so beautiful, so perfect…. _"so untouchable."_ Link thought grimly. He was physically attracted to Zelda, there wasn't any doubt. All men who liked the opposite sex had to find themselves attracted to her. It was like metal fillings being attracted to a magnet. Only a few men would see what lurked behind the beauty, though. 

It was pretty clear Zelda disliked him. She treated him like an incompetent, she talked down to him, belittled him, ordered him about like he didn't know what he was doing. Yeah, Link was pretty sure Zelda wasn't his number one fan. Link wished he could return the favor…but he couldn't. There was something about her…..

Zelda suddenly broke the silence, looking Link straight in the eye. "Well?" she asked harshly

"Well what?"

"You know what I mean." She bit. "Well?"

Link sighed. "I saw nothing, Princess." He said that with a straight face..

Zelda scoffed. "Liar."

A minute of silence passed…then Link decided to take the risk of speaking. "Even if I had seen anything, your Majesty, it probably wouldn't have been…" he looked up and caught her blue eyes in his. "anything….less than perfect." He finished quietly.

Zelda stared at him for a moment, without a look of malice for once. She turned away and continued up the hill. Link sighed again, and stared at the ground, concentrating on getting up the path.

Another minute passed until Zelda turned to him again, a coy smile on her face. She simply said, "You owe me.", and continued up the path.

Link stopped while Zelda kept up the mountain, shocked at that demand. He wondered what the implications of it were…. And he hoped she didn't mean what he thought she meant.

********

It didn't take them long to reach the Goron Village. Link was amazed by it's structure. It was carved into the side of the mountain, and the entire village consisted of a huge burrowed hole that led down into the depths of the structure. Link saw a path that spiraled down the hole, and thought that the Throne Room must be down there. 

When Link and Zelda entered, they, were welcomed in warmly. Link was surprised at the general joyfulness of the rock race. He heard that they were a bit brutish, but beside their rock appearance, they seemed to be softies on the inside.

The only thing that really bothered Link about the Goron was that he couldn't tell which were male and which were female. "Maybe there's neither." Link thought to himself. He was still considering the possibility when they were greeted by a large member of the rock race.

"Good Granite to you." He ( uh..she? ) exclaimed. Link and Zelda returned the greeting and asked to see King Goron. The Goron laughed. "King? Of course. Right this way." 

The Goron led them down the spiral, to the bottom of the Village. There was a huge pot that rotated harmlessly around on the floor, where bright red carpets and torches signified the throne room.

The Goron tapped twice on the door to the Throne Room, and the nodded to Zelda and Link as it left. The door slid open, and the two elves let themselves into the room.

Inside the decorated room was a Goron, massively built around the torso and arms, but still with a little paunch for a stomach. The Goron had bright red hair and a beard, and had been reading when the two had entered.

"Ah!" he exclaimed. "Princess, it is an honor to meet you!" The Goron said in all sincerity. "I am King Goron the IX." He bowed and took the Princess's hand, putting his other hand on top in a gesture of Goron respect.

Zelda smiled evenly. "The honor is all mind, My Lord." She said. Without looking at Link, she introduced him to the King of the Gorons. Goron IX took Link's hand in a crushing grip, shaking it vigorously. Link showed no pain, but let it be known, he was in quite a lot of pain at the moment. The fact that Link didn't complain brought instant respect to the eyes of the King.

Introductions done, Zelda got down to business. "My Lord, we're here for the Fire Key. We fear that the Time of Trouble is upon us again, and Link here has been ordered to release the Master Sword from its eternal slumber." Zelda said eloquently. Link shook his head slightly in wonder. Her voice could be so melodious…when it wasn't cold and demeaning.

The Goron King nodded. "We have it for you, then." He said. He turned to the door at the side of the room and cupped a hand next to his mouth. "BOY!!!" he thundered.

Immediately, the door opened, and Link found himself face to face with….

Link?

The small Goron looked at Link and Zelda anxiously. King Goron looked at them. "This is my son, the future King of the Gorons, Link." he laughed raucously. " I thought it was quite the coincidence too!" he said, slapping uh.. big-Link on the back. "The name 'Link' entered the Royal Family nearly a millennia ago, during another time of trouble. It skips a few generations…but, well here he is." He turned to the small Goron and beamed. "Well boy, speak up. We're in the presence of Hyrulian Royalty."

Small-Link faced Zelda and bowed quickly. "An honor!" he said quickly. Zelda smiled and took his hand, shaking it gently. The boy then looked at Link, completely awe-struck. "Your name is Link too!?" he asked.

Big-Link nodded. "Yeah. Who would have thunk it?" he said with a grin.

"Wow"

"Okay then." Goron said. "These folks need the Fire key. I know you took it outside the Village for school today. Now where is it?"

The kid looked beyond ashamed. "I….I don't have it." Small-Link gasped.

Link shut his eyes, feeling some acute disappointment. Goron was just astonished. "What!!!??"

"Me and some friends, we went to the Dodongo's Cavern!" Small-Link blurted. "I… it's not supposed to be dangerous, right? So we went, and when we got to the altar, where the real good rocks are…." He gulped, not able to look at his father, ", some really _really_ big Dodongo's came. They were big, huge, giant Dodongo's!! Two of them! They attacked and, we ran real fast." Small-Link stared at his feet, shuffling them back and forth. "I dropped it. It's at the altar. I'm sorry." 

"You idiot!" Goron yelled. "You shouldn't go to the Cavern without an adult! You could have been killed!!!" he shook at his own rage, just finding out that he had quite nearly lost his son. He considered Zelda. "And her highness is searching for the key! Look what you've done to her now!"

Zelda put an arm on the King, who immediately stopped his tirade. "It's okay, My Lord. What's important is that Link wasn't harmed." He smiled at the boy reassuringly, and the king nodded his agreement.

"Yup." Link said. "At least we know where it is." He looked up at Zelda and smiled weakly. " I guess it's time to go then." 

"You're going there alone!?" Small-Link asked. "B…But the Dodongo's!"

"Hey, if you made it, I figure I have a chance." Link said, putting a glove on the boys head.

Zelda nodded. "Don't worry about him, Link. He can take care of himself." She looked Big-Link directly in the eye, as if trying to give him a message.

Link stared back, not knowing what to think_. "What's she saying?"_ He thought. A part of Link wanted to think that it was 'Good luck' or 'Be Careful'

Link sighed. It didn't matter now. If he was careful, he could avoid the Dodongo's pick the Key up and be back at Kakkariko before sunrise. The King walked over to a lever on the North Wall of the room and pulled it. Another door slid open, and the King pointed at it.

"This is a shortcut we built that leads to the Dodongo's Cavern." The King shrugged. "It's good for midnight cravings…"

Link grinned and paced to the door. He glanced back at Zelda for a moment. Zelda smiled, and shook her head so slightly it seemed like a shiver.

"Don't be late." She told him.

Link grinned again, then walked up the torch-lit staircase beyond the door. With a sharp grinding of stone against stone, the opening closed behind him.

****

NEXT: Link and the Dodongo's Cavern. The Fire Key's got to be there right…?…….right??? Link also gets some unexpected aid from a stranger… Next Part Soon! Hope you enjoyed this. Please review, and I'll catch you later. (o'.')o


	11. Trial of Keys V2.5 ( Part 2 )

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Trial of Keys

V 2.5b

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By: (o'.')o pc_prettycool@email.com

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Disclaimer:

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Go Nintendo Go Nintendo Go! Go Nintendo Go Nintendo Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Zelda, Zelda RAP, Zelda Zelda RAP, Zelda Zelda RAP Go! Go Go Go! ( for anyone asking…Vanilla Ice from TMNT2)

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Note from Author:

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I've had a couple of tiffs against some Digimon and Pokémon authors…and others. I'm sorry, I'm kinda an emotional guy. I speak sometimes without speaking. To anyone I've offended, I really apologize. Look at this face…is this the face of a bad guy? (v^-^)

I've got something! See, while writing this, I've had a part of the middle plot missing in my head….I couldn't figure it out. Now I've got something. Believe me, it's gonna stray a bit from the Zelda Formula after the Trial of Keys has ended. I'm looking forward to it, hope you are too!

Last but not least, Thanks for your reviews. If you feel that I have some major problems that need to be addressed in my writing style [ Stardragon, I'm talking to you (v^-^) ], please, feel free to tell me. Email me too, at pc_prettycool@email.com. I draw some manga style, and I might make a website for Zelda fictions, with pictures of the characters in them. Okay then, enough outta me.

*********

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Last Chapter:

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Free of the Zoran Prison, things were looking up for our adventurers…except for Zelda who could really hold a grudge. However, after a chance run in by the Hot Tub in Kakkariko Village between Zelda and Link…things between the young elves got even more strained. This was compounded by the two deciding to go by themselves to visit King Goron the IX and his child Link to get the Fire Key. However, Small-Link had borrowed the Flame Key for a school trip, and had lost it when attacked by Dodongo's in their home cavern. Now Link is off to the Dodongo Cavern to procure the missing Key.

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And now, on with the story.

************

The sunset looked particularly brilliant from Saria's view, high atop a slim tree that stood in the center square of the small village. Saria was always good at hiding up in trees, and even not being Kokiri anymore, she still sometimes to just climb up an old bark and wonder at the nature around her.

Saria was wondering at something more this evening. Her eyes were set upon the huge natural structure that was Death Mountain. She always hated that name. Though Lord Deku had told her in the past that death was as natural as the fish in the sea, or the birds in the ocean, she still had a problem with such a wonder as nature being named after something as cold an as harsh as the end of life.

Saria sighed to herself. Link…and Zelda, were on that wonder of nature right now. She wondered how far they had gone…what they were talking about, if anything. They had sure acted strangely before they had left…

She was wondering what on earth that could be about when Esea returned from her little trip. She had gone to 'scope out the area', and now that she was back, Saria could see she was deeply disturbed. 

The fairy's long paper-thin legs landed gently on her shoulder, her heart-shaped face a cloud of worry. "I just spoke to the birds in Kakkariko." She said, her tone all sobriety.

"And?"

"And…" the Fairy pushed. "They're worried, really worried." She sighed and sat on Saria's shoulder. If she could feel the weight of the action, it was because she was imagining it. The fairy actually weighed nothing. "They feel a pall of evil resting on all of Hyrule."

Saria frowned. "It's not……"

"Ganondorf? No. As far as Lord Deku knows, he's still locked away in the prison of his own doing." Esea huffed and flexed her gossamer wings, microscopic beads of water falling off, evaporating immediately in the minute heat of the air. "The birds say it smells like him…but not quite."

"Someone else…" Saria said. Esea nodded and Saria faced Death Mountain once again. The thought that Ganondorf (or **Ganon** as he's referred to now in the Legends and in Children's Stories), wasn't involved in the unease of the world, brought Saria a little comfort. Just a little though. There was something evil stalking the lands of Hyrule. Its plans were unknown, and that made it all the more dangerous.

"Maybe we are in the Time of Trouble." Saria said, so quietly that even Esea could hardly hear her. She hated to see the girl so worried, now the fairy wished she had kept her yap shut. She could do nothing about it, only that boy she was so caught up with could help. That kid named Link.

Suddenly, Saria saw something that made her heart nearly skip. She skimmed down the tree with expert grace and ran towards the Inn, where Malon was staying outside. She was brushing Epona when Saria ran to her.

Before she could say a word, Saria gave her the news. "It's Zelda. She's back from the Gorons." She gasped. "She's alone."

Malon looked at her, stricken. She had an awful feeling in the pit of her stomach. All she could do now, was pray, and hope Link would return to her, alive and well. 

Still…the feeling in her stomach persisted…..

*********

The heat of the Dodongo Cavern was sweltering. If Link actually had to fight monsters in this place, he'd probably die of a stroke first. Link counted his blessings as he fared the massive cavern. For a place named 'the Dodongo's Cavern' he expected something a little more threatening. Instead, the only Dodongo's he met were as tall as his shin. He thought that they were more afraid of him than he was of them.

He thought that this was why small-Link and his friends thought it would be safe here. He made that mistake, and that's why big-Link was here now. He didn't forget that, and even though the cave wasn't threatening yet, he stayed on guard.

Finally, he reached a large open cut out in the rock of the Cavern. The room was strange in that it seemed artificially made, and was surrounded with rows of strange looking plants along the rim of the room. He walked up to a plant and looked closely. "_A Bomb-plant_." He saw immediately.

These plants were notorious for having a deadly natural defense mechanism. Pull it out of the ground, and it'd gather heat until the dormant chemicals in its roots exploded._ "Kinda like Talon"_ Link thought smiling._ "Pull him out of bed too early, and he's likely to blow up."_

He turned away from the plants and faced the North End of the room. He saw a stone structure that looked artificially made standing several meters away. _"The altar…"_ Link thought, and started moving towards it.

He froze suddenly, an overwhelming sense of wrong vibrating throughout his body. His hand flew to his sword-handle, and he immediately took battle-stance, looking in all directions. 

Link found nothing. He relaxed, only slightly. Shivers went up and down his spine. He had always had this extra sense around him, always able to know when there was a certain type of danger about. Link had learned to trust this instinct, which was why he had survived the previous few battles he had engaged in.

Still wary, Link took another step towards the altar. The feeling came again, and Link jumped into readiness. A huge shadow descended upon him, and he was barley able to skip back before the form crashed into the floor.

The Dodongo peered at him with tiny, blood-filled eyes. Link gulped inwardly. It was about 10 feet tall, and twice as long. It's ugly maw grinned at him, baring rows upon rows of razor sharp teeth. The lizard took one step at Link, then another, quickly snapping its teeth at him.

He jumped back again, sword drawn and pointed at the beast. He was thinking desperately of a strategy, when the creature bounded at him with terrific speed.

Link bounded out of the way, but was hit hard by the shoulder of the creature. Link flew spinning and landed hard only a few feet away from the West Wall. He got up quickly, favoring his left shoulder, facing the creature dead on.

Without warning, the ground shook as a massive crashed into it. Link was barely able to turn before he was slammed several feel through the air by a massive tail.

The young elf took the fall, rolling several times and bounded up to his feet. He stared at his attacker, another Dodongo, just as big, if not a little bigger, as the other one. Link smiled to himself.

__

"Yeah…that's right. You boys better call reinforcements." He thought sarcastically. _"Battle's still not even yet."_ He took a step forward, when the smaller Dodongo leapt at Link once again.

Again, Link was surprised by the huge creature's speed. Link stood back, and blocked the attack with one of his own, sweeping his sword at the creature, his left hand back against the dull-side of his blade for more leverage. 

His sword met strong muscle, and he ground his feet into the ground as he slashed a deep rent into the left leg of the lizard. It screamed in agony and stepped back. 

Link bounded away from the creature, spinning his sword around for a piercing attack, when the other Dodongo opened it's jaw wide. Intense heat coalesced between it's jaws, and the monster sent a vicious sphere of flame towards the young elf.

He only had time to take a small step back, which happened to be just enough. The flame impacted on the floor immediately in front of Link, blasting rocks dust and bits of dirt into his eyes. Link brushed away at the cloud of debris angrily, a move which turned out to be a bit mistake.

The giant Dodongo was in front of him in a second, and it brought it's deadly teeth down on the boy. Link brought his right arm up to block, and the monster took to it, renting a bloody foot-long rent down his arm.

Again, Link jumped back, gasping heavily. Acute pain blasted through his body and pushed tears to his eyes. Blood was pouring heavily down his arm. He switched his sword to his left hand, as the Dodongo opened wide to finish its attack.

Link threw his left arm up, jamming the tip of his blade into the roof of the creatures mouth, before backing quickly away, into the wall of the room. The Dodongo screamed in rage, shaking it's head back and forth in an effort to dislodge the offending sword.

Now he stood back against the wall as the lizards slowly stalked towards him. He knew the Dodongo's were viscous and cruel creatures, liking to prolong the suffering of their prey until finishing off. The lizards would walk towards him slowly, torturously, until they decided to attack.

Link peered at them through pained, light gray eyes. His arm had gone completely numb, and blood was trailing freely down his right hand. All Link wanted to do now, was kill these monsters. His mind was all rage.

His foot bumped against the hard plant stuck in the ground. Without looking at it, Link uprooted it with his left hand. Immediately, he began to feel the Bomb-plant heat up with every second.

The Dodongo's came at him, slowly and meticulously, side by side, shoulder to shoulder. The larger one still had Link's sword stuck in it's mouth. That was his target.

The plant grew hotter and hotter. A miscalculation would mean Link's quest would end right there, but still, Link took it to the final second. The heat of the Bomb-plant radiated through the room as the lizards came closer and even closer.

The larger Dodongo finally screamed and started forward. Link hauled back with his left hand, and flinged the plant into it's mouth.

The plant rested in its giant maw for only a second before it exploded. The concussion of the blast knocked even the other Dodongo off its feet. Link flew back, slamming hard against the wall of the room, sending another wave of pain down his arm.

Black guts, teeth, and brain matter flew in every direction of the room, and the blood flew throughout like a crimson fountain. At the same time, Link's blade spun through the air, landing near the altar. When all the dust cleared, the headless Dodongo took an automated step towards the elf, before slamming into the ground.

Link stood weakly against the wall, his right arm hanging lifelessly against his side. He walked cautiously towards the other Dodongo, thinking he'd have to sneak by it. When he got close, however, he realized it wasn't breathing. The concussion must have killed it on impact.

He let out a ragged breath, an act that sent another wave of acute pain shooting up his arm. He still considered himself lucky…if the other Dodongo had survived, it would have surely killed Link without hesitation. 

The wounded Hero paced slowly towards the altar, picking up his blade and sheathing it on the way. He leaned against the stone piece, breathing heavily. He'd take care of the arm when he got out of the cavern….maybe Zelda even knew some healing magic. All he had to do was spin the altar around to reveal….

…the Fire Key….

..it wasn't there.

Before Link could react, a pillar of light formed around his body. Having killed the guardian of the Fire Key, it was removing him from the scene. Link yelled in a mix of pain, rage and despair as he was carried out from the Dodongo's Cavern.

***********

He had wandered, aimlessly, through the sparse forest for what seemed like hours. The moon was up and full, casting a light upon everything in the area. Link could see clearly. He could even see how black and bloody his right arm had become.

Again, he didn't feel anything from the wound. He took this as a blessing from the Goddesses, as he continued through the woods. He didn't know where he was…or maybe he just didn't remember. His mind was strangely clouded. Link found this very peculiar, he usually had a good sense of direction, but now he felt like he was walking in circles. Heck, he felt like he was walking on a cloud.

Link stepped up towards a partially steep hill, making it sluggishly to the top. When he reached the peak, he found he had a good view over the tree-line. To his chagrin, he saw Death Mountain, and Kakkariko. It was quite a distance away, maybe a good full day. Link sighed ( or did he shudder. ) He'd make it…but it'd take a while.

He looked down the hill, spying on the small stream that flowed between the trees. He saw a figure and took another light step to get a better look.

At the stream was a girl of maybe 14. Her scarlet colored hair was tied up straight back in a tail that fell to the top of her ribcage. She was slim and maybe just about as tall as Link was. Her skin was a light brown, due to genetics and not to tanning. She wore a two piece outfit, a simple sleeveless red top that ended below her breasts, an white, baggy pants starting right below her bellybutton…ending with the sandals on her feet.

She had a large curved wooden staff strapped to her back, and she was bent over the river, washing her face. Link saw that it was obvious from the girls features that she was Gerudo.

Link stepped silently, trying for a better look. The girl looked up with her slightly slanted eyes and whipped out the staff that was on her back. A small cord of vine shot out from one end of the staff, and wrapped around the other end. The girl whipped out a thin arrow, and shot it at the spying elf.

The arrow embedded itself deeply into the ground at his feet. The elf froze, looking at the projectile, then at the girl who shot it.

"That was a warning shot." She said with a lilting accent.

Link put his good arm up into the air. "I'm harmless." He said, grinning weakly.

"The way you snuck up on me says otherwise." The girl retorted. Putting her bow away, she returned to grooming herself.

Patiently, Link put his arm down and waited for her to be finished. After she dried, she packed her belongings, the bow and a small pouch, and left the area, not glancing back at the boy.

The elf tsked and skidded down the hill. He hit the bottom rather hard, feeling unusually clumsy. Dusting himself off with his good arm, he moved towards the stream. Link's clumsiness got worse, losing his balance twice on the way.

He knelt at the river and took a sip of its clean water. For some reason, he couldn't feel a 'taste' from it. Link thought that was rather strange. He took another sip…and found that he was without an appetite for the stuff. _"It's too warm for water"_ Link thought. Too warm…in the middle of the night. He laughed at the contradiction.

He got back up to his feet, falling back down immediately. He tried to get up, but couldn't find the strength. "Maybe….." he thought groggily. "Maybe I'll just take a rest here."

Gradually, Link's eyes closed shut, as he thought that maybe there was a small chance he would never awake from this little nap.

********

He awoke later that night, the moon staring him right in the face. He tried to move, but a hand brought him back down to his lying position.

"Don't move again, or this time, I'll let you die here."

Link tuned and found himself staring straight into the face of the girl he saw earlier. He was lying in her lap as she was working on his arm. He looked at it in amazement, the bandage was almost finished, the arm had been sewn up and thoroughly cleaned.

He looked up at the girl again. The girl caught the look in her large red-brown eyes. "What are you looking at?" she said harshly.

"The most beautiful sight I've ever seen." Link whispered weakly.

The girl smiled in spite of herself. "You're delirious." She said.

"Maybe." Link agreed. The Gerudo handed him some water and he drank, his taste for water suddenly renewed. 

The girl glanced at him, then returned to her work on his arm. "This was one brutal wound. You're lucky I got to it in time." She said, nearly to herself. "What were you doing?"

"Battling Dodongo's."

The girl scoffed. "At least I had enough sense to run."

Link laughed. "So…someone _was_ there ahead of me." He looked her in the eye. "What were you looking for?"

"The same thing you were."

"The Fire Key."

The girl nodded. "Did you find it?" Link asked.

"No." she said, shaking her head. "Someone beat me to it. I was following him when you came along."

Link tried to get up again, but the girl pushed him down once more. "I'm serious. Do that again, and they'll never find your body."

He grinned at the threat. "I have to have that Key, you know…"

The Gerudo nodded again. "Let's catch up to it first, then we'll argue some more about it."

"Fair enough." he said, grinning further. "I'm…uh..Link." he said finally.

The girl peered at him again, before finishing the bandage on his arm. "Nabooru."

"Nabooru." Link repeated. He nodded slowly, drifting mentally. He wondered what a Gerudo was doing here so far out of the valley, and what she could possible want with the Fire Key. His body, however, decided that these were questions best left to another time, and Link fell back into a deep sleep.

*********

Early morning, while the rest of the world was waking up, Nabooru and Link were following the stranger with the Fire Key. Apparently he was headed back to Kakkariko himself. Link thought this was too much of a coincidence for it to be healthy.

The two finally broke through the forest, and stopped for a breakfast of wild berries and such from the surroundings. The young elf sat down cross-legged, and began tearing into his little meal.

"That's a neat weapon." Link said between gulps, pointing to the girls bow. The girl glanced behind her and faced Link again.

"It was my mothers." She said simply. Link gulped down some water …not thinking of going any further. 

Instead he asked, "What do you want with the Key anyway?"

Nabooru shrugged. "It's treasure. It's very important. That's all you need to know."

"Oh come on…." he grinned. "I'll tell you my secret if you tell me yours."

Nabooru smiled. "I doubt you've got any secrets I'd want to know about." 

Link laughed at the dig. "Yeah, well you don't know me very well, do you?"

The Gerudo shrugged. Link went back to his meal. "I wonder what this other guy wants with the Key." He asked quietly. 

Nabooru was about to answer, when she froze, a chill moving down her spine. The same chill whipped through Link, who got up quickly, his hand on his sword handle. How the guy had gotten this close to them without the two young warriors being warned earlier made no logical sense to him. The only thing that mattered was that he was there.

Standing on a rock, hunched over, with his arm resting on his bent knee, stood someone draped in black cloths. He wore a long black Tuke over his head, and his mouth and nose were completely covered by a dark shawl. His right gauntlet loosely held a small, double bladed staff-like weapon., and his left gauntlet bore the mark of a single bright golden triangle.

Link was finally face to face with the one who had attacked Malon, the one who the Sage had warned him about. 

The dark-clad figure grinned at the two through his dark shoal, staring at them with blood red eyes.

"Hero…."

****

NEXT: Who is he? Is he Ganondorf reborn? Something more, something less? And will Link be able to defeat him with the wound to his arm? The end of the Trail of Keys draws near! See ya soon! (o'.')o


	12. End of Trial of Keys (V 2.6)

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Trail of Keys

End

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By: (o'.')o

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Disclaimer: 

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Nah….just this once, I'll let them guess. *Watches the door for Luigi to barge in with Iron Knuckles…*

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Note from Author:

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I've got to ask….if you read this, please please please review it. Say whatever's on your mind…even if your Seifer Almsley and you don't have much of a mind. [ Just kidding Seifer, I love ya…even though Squall and Gilgamesh thoroughly kicked your ass….and I bet Link could too ;) ]

**********

****

Last Chapter:

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Well, needless to say, Link had a really bad time last chapter. Going to the **Dodongo's** cavern, getting ripped open and nearly killed by two huge beasts, finding **no** **Fire Key** for his troubles, being teleported to the middle of nowhere, and nearly dying of infection….Yeah, that qualifies as a bad days. The only good part was his chance meeting with a fair Gerudo girl named **Nabooru**, who fixed him up quite well…[ after she threatened to kill him. ] They were on the trail of whoever had the Fire Key, and things were looking up. Until they found who it was that had it…that is…….

****

On with the tale:

**********

The stranger's eyes were his most frightening features. The whites of them were filled with blood, and his eye-color was as black as the midnight. Right now, those eyes were glancing both at Nabooru and Link, who stood completely still.

Link leveled his gaze at the strangers face, who chuckled a bit. As if in response, the stranger unwrapped the cloth that hid has face. Link's eyes grew wide in certain shock. He was staring back at himself.

Well, almost himself. This kids face was so much like Link's it was eerie. However, there were a lot of differences. The strangers nose shorter and flatter, almost to the point of being just a bump with nostrils. His face was a bit more round than Links, and his ears were had more of a point then Links did. Tufts of dirty blonde hair came out from his black tuke. The boy wore a wide grin that bared lots of teeth. He seemed to be enjoying himself.

__

Note: More visual purpose….think a taller, more Elven looking Kid Buu from DBZ. 

"Hero" he said grinning. He turned his head to the girl beside Link. "Gerudo…" he said, almost in a sing-song way.

Link didn't like the way he looked at her. He stepped up to focus the kids attention on himself. "It's Link." he stated.

The other looked at him and slammed his weapon, a short double-bladed staff into the rock he was perched on. He slumped his arm over one knee and regarded Link lazily. 

"Knata." He growled. "Knata_gahnim" _He put an emphasis on the last part of his name. Link wondered if it was a surname or a title. "I am a _ghanim , _the first of many, the pride of the Master's growing fleet."

"Well what do you know, a guy with career-goals." Link smiled sarcastically. The grin on the dark figures face instantly became an ugly scowl. "What do you want?" Link asked fiercely.

"That is for you to find out…" he said calmly, "when you ask the questions of the Goddesses in person."

Link glanced beside him and studied Nabooru. She was breathing lightly, not taking her eyes away from 

the dark stranger. Link wondered if she could feel what he was feeling…the power radiating from this dark figure.

Knata pulled his weapon, a short double-bladed staff, from the boulder he was standing on. "This…" he started in a harsh voice, "This is a Swallow. Gerudo weapon. I picked it a long time ago because of what it can do." He stepped off the boulder and put a hand on his hip, twirling the weapon around nonchalantly. 

"It's smaller than a normal staff, so it can be handled like a sword. And with the blades on either end…" he peered at Nabooru, grinning widely. " I can cut twice as many times then with a normal sword. That means with…a few swipes…" he whipped around the Swallow and twirled it to his left hand. 

"…I can take off your pretty skin." He finished, licking his chops. 

Nabooru took threats easily, but for some reason this one repulsed her to the point of nearly making her sick. Knatagahnim wasn't finished. "And then…maybe with a few swipes, your precious scalp…"

"Stop it." Link growled.

"…and then, your insides…how lovely they must be, all black and bloody…"

"ENOUGH" Link barked. He drew his sword and leveled it at the dark figure. Knata simply grinned and nodded.

Nabooru watched how Link was standing. Seeing his scabbard on his left side, she figure that he was right-handed, and thus, would lead with his right. However, now Link had his left foot forward, and his left hand gripping the handle, his right covering the butt-end. This wasn't a good sign.

Either Link was ambidextrous, or he was preparing to fight Knata at a greater disadvantage.

Nabooru opened her mouth to say something, but in that moment, Knatagahnim leaned forward and vanished.

Before she could even think about where he went, a sharp pain exploded from her midsection. Nabooru buckled over and the handle of the Swallow came up hard on her chin, knocking her to the ground. The world seemed to spin for Nabooru, and she lay on the ground, unable to move.

Link whipped his head around at Knata, and stared at him with steel gray eyes. His posture relaxed, and it seemed like he was being held up by string. Knata grinned further and launched towards him, quickly becoming a blur.

The blade of the Swallow was parried by Link's own sword. Knata spun around and swiped again at Link's head. The elf ducked, but not fast enough. A shallow rent appeared on his cheek, seeping blood.

Link slashed sideways at the dark figure, but caught only air. In a flash, Knata was behind him, leveling a overhand cut at the elf. Link twirled,, gripping his sword with his right hand, and parried the blow.

The force radiated from the center of the clash, blowing leaves and rocks several feet away. Link could feel the stitches on his right arm blast apart, and blood beginning to flow freely from the wound. 

Link didn't care.

*******

Someone else did. A few miles away, in the village of Kakkariko village, the blow was felt by the three girls who were traveling with Link before.

Zelda got up to her feet quickly, running to the others. They found her however, and told her about what they felt…that Link was in intense trouble. 

The women quickly readied Epona and Destiny, and rode quickly to the general direction of the feeling the had. As they raced, each thought in their own little way, of the pain that they'd feel if it was too late.

*******

Link gripped his sword with his other hand and bit down hard on Knata. Knata pushed back, bracing himself on the ground for more leverage. Link bent his knees and followed suit. The force between the two combatants was enormous. The ground broke and crumbled under their feet as they continued to push against each other.

Finally the force was too much. With a blast of power, the two were flung aside from their own attacks. Link spun around on his feet, skidding to a halt and facing the other. Knatagahnim skid to a halt and calmly half turned towards the other elf, a sadistic grin plastering his face. The elf was good, he'd concede to that, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

Besides…he hadn't even started.

******

Nabooru had been conscious the whole time, but too dazed to even sit up. She now shook her head stubbornly, pushing her long red ponytail out of her eyes. She got up to her knees, checking her mouth to see if she lost any teeth, and glanced up at the two combatants. 

Link and Knata were nearly 20 feet from each other, staring themselves down. They both looked like they were barely breathing. Nabooru spotted the bandage on Links arm, partially ripped, and beginning to soak with his blood.

She got up and pulled the bow of the strap on her back. Taking a slim bolt from her pouch on her waist, she pulled it and aimed it at Knata…

Knata leapt forward and vanished again. Nabooru was even more surprised when half a second later, Link launched himself at the enemy, and became a blur, too fast to her eyes.

A loud noise of metal clashing against metal rang through the clearing, the force of the attack nearly blowing Nabooru off of her feet. She looked around desperately, but couldn't see anything. Another clash sounded, and another. She watched the ground as it exploded in two patches a few feet from each other…once…twice…three times, Each with a clashing noise.

Nabooru was knocked back by a hard breeze. The ground exploded next to her, and a large clash rang in her ears. She could see the sparks fly from an impact that took place seconds ago. Nabooru was shocked. She never knew anything alive could move so fast, even for the purpose of battle.

She had always prided herself on being tough, on being one of the best fighters the Gerudo had to offer. Truth be told, she was. Her abilities surpassed most in Hyrule. However, these two…..they made her feel like a helpless little girl. They were so far above her abilities, it was mind-boggling.

Another clash rang and then Nabooru saw the two split from each other. The skidded to a halt and stared each other down. Knata had one slash that ripped open the cloth on his left arm, and she saw some blood there. Link, however, had many small gashes and cuts all throughout his body. He was holding his sword extremely loosely, and his right arm was covered from elbow to fingers in dark blood.

Nabooru knew he'd bleed to death no matter how strong he was. She leveled her bow and aimed at Knatagahnim again…and again the two fighters vanished before their eyes, to resume their high-speed combat. Nabooru let out a frustrated cry. How could she help him if she didn't have enough power to even read their motions!!

The Gerudo took a long calming breath, and studied the battle ground carefully. She watched the ground as it broke under their feet, the leaves as they were blown away by the force of their attacks. Slowly, things became slower, became easier to read. A blur here and there signified the combatants. Nabooru continued to concentrate. The blurs slowed down, taking shape. 

She could see them, moving almost surreally. Link slashed down once at Knata, who parried and whirled around, aiming at Link's head. The green-tuniced elf bent down, dodging the blow, and sheathing his sword quickly. Knata came at him in the same motion, and in a blur Link flashed the sword out of his scabbard, the attack screaming at Knata's face.

Knata blocked with the handle of the Swallow, forcing rocks and leaves to burst with the force. The dark figure reared back brought the handle down on the boys head. Link hit the ground and leapt to his feet, rushing again at Knatagahnim. He sheathed his sword again, and jutted the handle out from his scabbard, nailing the dark figure in the midsection. Knata skidded back and twirled his Swallow, cutting two shallow tears in Link's skin. Again the two broke from each other and stared themselves down. 

Nabooru could see the damage Link was causing to his arm every time he attacked, especially with the sword technique _battou-jitsu* . _Though it was clear he was doing more damage to himself than to Knatagahnim, the look in Link's eyes suggested he wouldn't stop until one of them was dead. She leveled her bow again, taking aim…

__

*Battou-jitsu is the art of whipping your sword out of your sheath so quickly, it creates a force capable of tearing through an enemy. It is a technique based on speed. I learned this _from_** Rurouni Kenshin**_. Watsuki Sensei Rules.! (v^-^)_

And suddenly Knata was on her, having moved to quickly for her to react. She watched as he came down on her with his Swallow leveled. She knew he was fast enough to do many things. Knock her out, Gut her, Run her through.

Maybe even skin her alive, like he had threatened.

Nabooru closed her eyes shut and readied herself for whatever was to come. The Swallow rushed down on her…

Suddenly a surge of power came through her body. Nabooru opened her eyes and saw the wave of blue power pass her and slam hard into Knata, flinging him back into the thick of the battlefield. 

The dark figure rolled to the ground, and Link took the opportunity. He slashed at him, bringing the sword up from a low position to take of the others head. Knata twirled the Swallow around with his left hand, parrying the attack and slashing at Link's head. Link dodged, but just barely, a small gash appearing across his nose.

Knata spun to his feet and leapt back, looking for the source of the power that had trounced him. Standing beside Nabooru now was a beautiful blonde girl in white clothing, a blue sphere emanating from her body. Beside her was a buxom red-head and a pretty green clothed waif. Knata didn't know about the other two, but he knew about the girl with the power.

"Zelda….." he snarled, licking his chops again. He took a step forward, and Link was on him in a flash. He blocked his attack and ran to the left, becoming a blur. Link ran beside him and winked out of vision.

Now Zelda, Malon and Saria were shaking their heads. "It's….It's not possible." Malon said quietly.

"He can't keep this up! His body wont take the strain for much longer!" Nabooru shouted. She looked beside her and caught Zelda smiling faintly at her. "Sister…" she began.

Zelda smiled. "Sister…"

"What can I do?" Nabooru lamented. She looked pleadingly at Zelda with her large partially slanted eyes. Zelda peered down a the bow she held.

"What you can." She answered.

Nabooru looked down at her bow, then leveled it at the battle field. Again she concentrated, and again Link and Knata came into view.

Link slammed hard into Knata with his blade. Knata blocked, sparks flew.

Everything seemed to slow down…then fluctuate in her vision. She shut her brown-red eyes and opened them again. The world was black and void. Only Link and Knata were there, and they had slowed to a dead crawl.

Link re-sheathed his sword, his arm a bloody mess. He bent his knees and prepared for the last strike.

Nabooru closed and reopened her eyes again. Now Link was gone. There was only Knatagahnim.

Knata twirled around his Swallow and shifted it to his left. He placed it behind him, readying himself for the last parry.

She closed her eyes, and reopened them. Knata was there, he was as big as a house. She could almost see his heart beating in his chest.

Link's arm flew to his scabbard.

Knata launched forward.

Nabooru fired.

The bolt struck Knata in the chest, and buried itself into him. Knata was knocked back with the force, and something red popped out from his cloths. Nabooru thought it would be blood, but she wasn't sure.

Knata looked at the arrow buried deeply in his chest, then up at Link. Link was as shocked as he was. The color was returning to his eyes.

The dark figure backed away a couple of steps, then lost his balance and fell to the ground.

Malon and Saria cheered and ran towards Link, and as they did, something registered in his eyes, and he also fell to the ground. He was bleeding profusely.

The girls quickly got to his side. When they touched him, he was as cold as ice. Malon knelt by his mouth to see if he was breathing. He was, but only just. "Don't worry." She whispered. "You're going to be fine. Link…you're not gonna die."

Saria looked down at him, his body was littered with small bleeding cuts, and his arm was unrecognizable. Esea looked at the way Saria began to tremble. "Stop worrying!" she said. "He's an idiot, but I'll help him anyway." With that, Esea flew over to Link's right arm and began to glow brightly.

Nabooru put a hand on him, then glanced in the direction of Knata for morbid curiosity. She gasped aloud, and the other girls turned to her, and then what she was looking at.

Knatagahnim was gone. All that was left of him was the bloody arrow that was stuck 5 inches in his chest.

*******

It was hours after the battle, and they were all back in Kakkariko. The horses who had nearly killed themselves to get to the scene were now resting comfortably. 

Link lay in a single room, covered to his neck in blankets. It was touch-and-go for a long time with him. He had stopped breathing many times, but now seemed to be stable. Princess Zelda sat at his side, waving her hands above his body, singing softly. All the while, a soft blue glow radiated from her and seeped into Link's body.

Zelda was exhausted, and she should, with the amount of power she was spending in this healing process. She should be thankful though…if it wasn't for Esea's quick healing on the battlefield, Zelda wouldn't have to be healing anyone, he'd be long dead. She sighed inwardly, wondering at the still elf she was treating.

Link….she knew he was blessed with the Triforce of Courage, but what she had seen that afternoon surpassed what she thought that blessing would give him. The way he was able to move so quickly, endure so much strain on his body, so much viciousness from his attacker, and not feel any pain from the horrific wound on his arm was beyond her.

She had seen his eyes when he was battling, a cold gray color. She remembered when he looked like that before, when they had seen the Sage, and Link had gotten murderously angry. She figured that had something to do with it….but what…

The door opened, and Nabooru walked into the room. Zelda got up and immediately flung her arms around her. "Sister!" she laughed.

Nabooru returned the embrace. "It's been too long, Zelda." She laughed softly. "Too long…."

********

_It had been 6 years ago. Farmers in the borderland of Hyrule were having a good crop and prospering. In response, they began to expand and expand, and they began to encroach on Gerudo territory. The Gerudo's complained, but the Hylians went all the way to the King to fight for their 'rights'._

That is when the Royal Family paid a personal visit to the Gerudo Hierarchy. Zelda was 8 years old at the time, and was adamant that it would be the worse time of her life. ( Zelda was quite the little brat back then. )

When they reached the Gerudo Fortress, they were greeted by the Leader, Andala, and her little charges. One that stood out in Zelda's head was a 8 year old girl named Nabooru. She looked at Zelda like she was a piece of dirt, and Zelda wanted to order her to do a million push-ups right now. She should have been able to order anyone around…she was the Princess dammit.

Andala then ordered Nabooru to entertain Zelda, while she and the King discussed the farm matter. Nabooru thought the princess would benefit from seeing their fine stables. Zelda didn't like it, and made a fuss. Something spooked the horses, and they broke loose.

Nabooru had saved the princess that day, throwing her arms around her and pushing her to the ground. Luckily the horses sharp hooves avoided the two small girls. Zelda was speechless. Andala was furious. She punished Nabooru severely for putting the Princess's life in danger, beating her backside until the little girl was red in the face with tears and screaming. That was the way Gerudo disciplined their children. Zelda didn't see it, but she heard. 

Nabooru walked stiffly around the edge of the Fortress, whimpering to herself. Zelda had followed her and now confronted her. She healed Nabooru there, and the pain left her body. That healing, the spiritual joining that took place for the healing process to happen, was the beginning of their sisterhood.

The stay lasted a few days. The King agreed to tell the farmers to recede from Gerudo land. Andala knew that he'd take a hit in popularity with the decision, but it was the right thing to do. The Hylian King now had the hard-to-earn respect of the Gerudo.

Before she left, Zelda completed a blood pact with Nabooru. The girls slit their palms, and mixed in their own blood in the tradition of the Gerudo. Now and forever, they would be sisters, in heart, and in blood.

********

Nabooru broke the embrace now and looked at the slightly shorter girl. "My.." she breathed. "You're gorgeous. The Goddesses have been very kind."

Zelda blushed, a rarity in public. "That's fine, but you're not bad either. I'm sure the Elven boys are all over you."

Nabooru scoffed. "Like I'd let them near me. I find them too spindly if you ask me." She glanced over at the boy in the bed. "Except for him. He's something else…"

Zelda turned towards Link, then back at the Gerudo. "He's been blessed by the _Triforce of Courage_."

Nabooru smiled at her. "So?" she stated. "That doesn't explain what I saw today. Has anybody seen him train? Has anybody met his trainer?"

Zelda frowned. "He's kept us in the dark about that. I've asked Malon…she doesn't know. She said that sometimes Link would just wake up, and go to try some new technique. Malon said that when they were growing up, sometimes he'd get stronger overnight."

"Malon said that?" a voice groaned weakly. "She's even more intuitive than I imagined." The girls turned quickly and saw Link leaning up in his bed, a strained smile on his face.

"Link!" Zelda exclaimed. She went to his side and pushed him back on to his bed. " How are you feeling?"

Link smiled again. "In a word?" he started. "…..ow."

*********

The next day he was feeling a lot better. Around 60% he'd say. Zelda had gone all out trying to heal him, but he was still bed-ridden. Malon came in the morning to visit. She asked about is health.

Link shook his head. "Do you know why I zonked out there?" he asked her. "It wasn't because I lost too much blood , or because I took too many hits." He sighed. "It's because I was out of my mind in pain. When that…_ghanim_ … got shot, everything flooded back into me, and it just blasted my mind shut. Before that, I felt nothing, not a damn thing.….."

Malon gazed down and brushed the hair back from his face. "Link…why is that?"

Link sighed again. "Just something I picked up." Malon was about to ask what that meant, when the boy looked out the window, looking extremely depressed. "Anyway, it was all for nothing, I couldn't find the Fire Key. I got myself beat up for nothing."

Malon smiled. "Not necessarily." She stated. From the pocket in her pant, she pulled out a red orb. It's light immediately permeated the room. Link stared at it in awe.

"Where…." 

"Nabooru found it a few inches from where that…guy…was shot. She thought she saw something fall out from his robes."

The pained elf grinned and accepted the Orb. It flared once in his hand, then died to a small flicker of red light. 

"Who was that guy anyway?" Malon asked.

Link shrugged, regretting it immediately when a wave of pain overtook him. "Ah…who knows? He said he was a _ghanim_ …and whatever that is, there are more of them out there. He's the first, so hopefully he's their most powerful" He looked at Malon in the eye. "I wasn't a match for him….not even close."

"So…what are we going to do?"

"What else?" Link regarded the Fire Key carefully. "We get the Master Sword, then we kill him."

With that, he placed the orb on the counter to his bedside. "Or die trying." He finished the thought solemnly.

__

THE END of TRIAL OF KEYS. NEXT VOLUME: **EVIL'S BANE**.

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Next: Revelations about Link, including his anger spells, and where he learned to battle. Plus…The _Master Sword_, and the hunt for the _ghanim_s. It all begins in the next volume of this saga_, Evil's Bane_!. Hope you enjoyed it. See ya. (o'.')o 


	13. Evil's Bane V3.1

Evil's Bane

V3.1

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By : (o'.')o

****

Disclaimer:

__

The Legend of Zelda and all subsequent related characters are property of……of…..ME! HA HA HA HA!!!! OW! Luigi broke me leg! Ok Ok**…The Legend of Zelda and all related characters are property of Nintendo**. There, happy?

****

Note from Author:

__

First of all, I'd like to thank those who have reviewed so far! I really appreciate your comments and suggestions and critiques! I love it! Thanks, and please continue to review!

This is the first chapter of the Third Volume of the Series. I think I'm going to call the whole thing together: **The Legend of Zelda: Secret of The Gerudo**. Why? Meh.

To those who are just starting with this fic, it's the 3rd Volume of my Series. The first is **A Kid Named Link**…the second is **Trial of Keys**. This will be the last. Thanks!

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Warning: This one is long…9 pages in 10pt. Uhhh…if this is a problem…sorry Really sorry. If not, yippie! Also…it's really just an introduction to Evil's Bane. Not much action. :/ 

***********

****

Last Chapter:

__

The battle was fierce and intense, as Link and the one who had attacked Malon, the one who was causing a lot of strife in Hyrule, **Knatagahnim**, fought nearly to the death. For Link, he was fighting for revenge and for the Fire Key. For Knata, he was seemingly in it for fun. Nabooru, Zelda, Malon and Saria marveled at the way the battle ensued, and at Link's nearly superhuman abilities. But the battle wasn't going well for him, and Nabooru intervened, striking Knata down with an arrow. Knata disappeared, and Link recovered from his horrific wounds with the help of the fairy Esea, and Zelda. When all was said and done, the only good thing to come from this was the Fire Key. Finally for Link, the Master Sword awaits. 

****

And on with the tale:

**********

The sun's morning rays were shining down on Kakariko, when Link and his companions readied themselves for the final leg of the journey. However, as bright as everything appeared to be, there still remained one major problem.

"Are you telling me…." Nabooru started, the young Gerudo looking harshly at Link. "…are you telling me that while traveling all this time, you never once thought about _where_ the Master Sword was?" 

Link shrugged sheepishly. "What do you want from me?" he said indignant. "I…we were busting our butt trying to get the Keys. We thought we could find the Sword when the time came."

"The time is now. Concentration on previous tasks aside, you shouldn't have ignored an obvious future one." Nabooru said, shaking her head. " You got clumsy."

__

"CLUMSY!" Link thought_. "Clumsy my ass! Geez, who are you anyway, my mother?"_ he growled inwardly, speaking freely about a woman he never knew.

Nabooru stared at him again, seeing how he was silent and broody. "You have something to say to me?"

Malon saw where this was headed. She stepped lightly between the two. "Nabooru, you wouldn't have any idea where it was would you?" she asked sweetly.

Nabooru looked her up and down quickly, an act that infuriated Link. He stormed off before the Gerudo could answer. "I have no idea." She sighed. "I'm sorry."

Malon nodded and looked to Link, who was scowling at the ground, arms crossed. Wouldn't it be a fine mess, to go through all this trouble and not find the one object it was all for.

Zelda, who had been standing next to Destiny, suddenly stepped forward, her blue eyes shining brightly. "The Sage!" she said. "He'd know! And his house isn't too far from here. We should find out in hours."

That cheered Link up immediately. The Sage had said that the Master Sword rested in a 'Hidden Glade'. Maybe now he'd humor them with actual the whereabouts of the mysterious place.

********

The group had rented a horse for the remaining travel, and Link and Nabooru traveled together on one, Zelda on Destiny, and Saria and Malon on Epona. They reached the Sage's house quickly.

The cottage looked exactly the same as when Zelda and Link had visited before. The water was still churning over the small mill by the stream, and smoke still billowed out the small chimney.

The only thing that was missing was the Sage himself.

The group searched the house high and low, and they found no trace of the old elf that had given Link the Trial of Keys so many days ago.

Finally, Link stopped the search and chuckled softly to himself. This was a perfect turn of events. Maybe the Goddesses should fling him in a river and scatter the Keys again. Maybe then it'd be completely perfect.

Saria turned to him, and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I think we should stick around for a night. Maybe he just went out." Saria squeezed a little and smiled. "We could meet him on the way back."

Link blinked once, then turned to her. He didn't even think of that possibility. He smiled back at the ex-Kokiri._ "Amazing."_ He thought, then returned her small embrace.

"All right." Link told her, "we'll stay then." 

*********

The others decided to stay in the house for the night. They drew straws for the bed. Link didn't bother, he knew he'd lose. Instead he opted for a night under the stars. Nabooru felt the same way, but went to another part of the field outside the Cottage.

Under a tall slim tree, Link rested, occasionally kicking it to force apples from it's leafy top. Link chuckled. If Saria heard of his plant-abuse, she's scold him for sure.

"This is nice…" he thought. "After all the crap we've gone through, it's cool to just rest for a while… really rest." Link sighed and pulled off the green long-tailed cloth cap* from his head. Link's hair swayed in the gently wind, and he lit the feeling calm him…nearly to the point of sleep.

__

* I've referred to it as a Tuke. It's a variation on the Canadian item….I dunno what else to call it.

The door to the cottage opened, and Zelda strode out in her nightclothes. Link wondered how she must feel, now carrying only two articles of clothing around, instead of the hundreds she must have at the castle. Still, he thought humorously, that was one more article of clothing than he had.

She walked straight towards the lounging elf, and sat right beside him. For a moment, she said nothing. She just looked at the stars ahead of her, and the huge moon that dominated the sky.

Link was beginning to feel like he was in trouble. Before he could open his mouth to ask, Zelda spoke, interrupting him. Link supposed he should have been used to it by now.

"Tell me about the kid you fought." She demanded.

Link looked at her, then shrugged. "He said his name was Knata, that he was a _ghanim . _He called himself Knatagahnim for a full title." Link looked at his feet, now free of his leather boots. " He was awesome…and he was insane. I don't know if he was evil or not, but he was definitely mad. He was working on orders." Link finished.

Zelda sat their silently, listening to his explanation. "Remember those assassins you took care of in the Castle, the first day we met?"*

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*A Kid Named Link V1.1.

Link smiled in the memory. He was soooo cocky that day, completely surprising Zelda with his skills. In retrospect, he should have been more up-front with her. He guessed he'd grown since then.

Zelda saw the look of recognition in his face. "They killed themselves, you know. We interogated them once, that's all. All they said was that they worked for some master, to become _ghanim_s. That's it. We left them alone for a few hours…by the time we came back, they were dead."

This time, it was Zelda's turn to look at her feet. "We traced them down to_ Hylians_, Link. For a second, I thought they weren't Elves…because of their faces and the shape of their ears…but I was wrong. They were. They were just…."

Link nodded, she didn't have to say anything more. Besides, he had a feeling she wasn't the only rich kid to think that someone born different was a monster…even if it was for a second. "I guess, being outcasts like that would make it easy for this 'master' to recruit them into becoming a _ghanim_ ." He said solemnly.

Zelda looked at him intensely. "I thought it was a cult, but after seeing what Knata was capable of, I think this '_master_' of theirs is a real threat….and I have a horrible feeling I know who it is."

Link returned her look, then gazed ahead into the stars. 

__

"Ganondorf." He thought. _"Even from his eternal prison, he still haunts us." _All of a sudden he became a ware of Zelda staring at him. "We'll find out more once we get the Master Sword." He said in all sincerity.

Zelda looked at him for a second, then rose to her feet. She brushed off the leaves and dirt from her clothes as she walked back to the Cottage. "Night Link." she barely called back, before she entered the building.

Link watched her go, letting out a small laugh, before he draped his tuke over his eyes and fell asleep

********

Saria's idea was one of great merit, and it deserved to be followed through. That being said, it was wrong. By mid-afternoon, the Sage was nowhere to be found. Nabooru had combed the area, looking for tracks. There where none. It was as if the Sage had vanished into nothingness.

Inside, Zelda was furious. She felt betrayed by the old man. If he was here, she would have wrung his neck in plain sight. Still, she kept her emotions silent, and discussed with the other girls on the next course of action. All the while, Link was gone…having said he needed to think alone.

While the conference was going on, Zelda noticed a huge owl peering at them from the tops of the slim trees that were clustered in the area. She looked back at it, and was greeted by knowing, intelligent eyes.

Zelda would have sworn she knew those eyes, but before she could react, the owl beat it's huge wings, and disappeared into the distance.

*********

Link was several miles downstream the wide river that housed his old 'Fishing Spot'. He sat on the edge of a mossy hill that nestled by the side of the crystal flowing waters.

He was desperate. He had to find the Master Sword, or he'd go stir crazy. Most of him wanted that extra power to help free Hyrule from any Time of Trouble, so he could go on with his life.

Another part of him wanted the power to beat Knatagahnim's head in.

Link peered at the waters flowing before him. It reached everywhere, throughout every part of the land. It remembered everything it touched, every mystery, every act, every legend….

Something came over him, and he leaned over, removed his right glove, and placed a hand into the freezing waters.

__

"Ruto…." He thought. _"If you can help me….please…. I don't know if you'd know…but I have to try…"_

He yanked his freezing hand out of the water, and leaned back on the embankment. Link thought the act was probably a waste of time. Even if Ruto did show up….what would she know about the Master Sword that they didn't….

Link waited, almost lulled to sleep by the sounds of the water and the birds around him. He waited for around 40 minutes, before he decided it would be rude to the others to waste time, and got to his feet.

As if on cue, the waters of the river churned. A burst of water and foam knocked Link to his back-side, and a gigantic serpent towered from the waters surface, glistening proudly. 

Young Ruto sat on his head, smiling and waving widely at the stunned elf. She got to her feet and hopped off, landing smoothly on the ground before him.

"Hiya Cliff!" she exclaimed, and gave him a big hug. Link was even more stunned on the fact that she was still wearing that two-piece seaweed suit they had come up with before returning to the Zora.

"Ruto"…Link smiled. He gently pried her away, gripping her thin shoulders. ",You actually showed up."

"Of course! I'm not YOU Cliff." She gasped. "I'm an example of an all-around great person! You're just a nut!"

Link put a hand on his hip. "Nut eh? Seems my madness is catching, what you doing wearing clothes?"

Ruto's eyed widened, and then she blushed slightly. "I guess I didn't want to embarrass you in front of your three women, Cliff." She said slyly. Then she looked around quickly. "Where are they?"

"Elsewhere." Link said. " Listen, Ruto…we've got all 3 Keys. Now we can get the Master Sword." He put his hands behind his back and put on the most pathetic look he could muster. "Do you know where it is?"

Instead of laughing, Ruto put a hand to her chin, thinking carefully. "Well, my Father told me that it's definitely nowhere near the Temple of Time…so you can rule that out…."

Link nodded. It was true. A few years after the last Time of Trouble…the Imprisoning War as it was referred to in the Annuls of Time, there were quite a few tragedies attributed to the Master Sword.

It seemed that many people, pushed by greed and curiosity, would sneak into the Temple of Time. Some would go to steal the Master Sword, some would go just to touch it, to feel it's power. Regardless of the motives, the result was always the same. They were literally cut to pieces by the Master Sword's Power. The last straw came when some of the victims began to include a few curious children…

So the Sword was moved, hidden away, and forgotten after all this time. This tragic turn of events, taken place nearly 1000 years ago, was now hunting the Link of the present…and all of Hyrule.

"A Sage told me, it was in the '_Hidden Glade'_" Link explained further.

Ruto began to take on a sly look_. _"_'Hidden Glade'_ eh Cliff? That could be anywhere."

Link nodded.

"Unless I was the King of Hyrule and I wanted the Sword close for safe keeping." She continued.

Link shook his head. "Zelda said that the Castle nor it's surroundings housed the Master Key. None of the Parks or forests around the Castle have it."

"And they shouldn't Cliff!" Ruto exclaimed. "If they didn't, it wouldn't be a Hidden Glade now would it?"

Link scowled at her, and Ruto giggled. "Hey, don't be mad! I'm just saying, I just think it'd be someplace obscure…maybe…underwater…or…."

"Underground!" Link exclaimed. The gears in his mind were churning now. "Underground glade…close enough for Hylians to get to it …"

Ruto finished for him. "I'd try the Imprisoning War Memorial, Cliff." She said, shaking her head slightly. "Either that or the graveyard in Kakariko, you know…the Royal Tomb-"

Ruto didn't get a chance to finish, Link grabbed her by the shoulders, ecstatic. "You're fantastic!!!" he shouted happily. With that, he turned and started to run to where the others where conferencing.

Ruto stood shocked for a moment, then ran to follow him. "Hey Cliff!" she yelled, "Tell me more about my eyes!"

Link glanced back. " I didn't say anything about your eyes!"

"I know!" Ruto grinned. "But since you're so good at complements, I thought that'd be a good place to continue!!" 

Link laughed and took the girl by the hand. They continued on the rest of the group, determined to finish the journey's final leg.

***********

Ruto's theory was right. The Imprisoning War Memorial was in the middle of a dark cove to the East of Hyrule Castle. Inside, the large stone slab in the center told the secular tale of the Strife that gripped Hyrule nearly a millennia ago. 

The stone had taken some time to push back, but when it was, it revealed a deep long staircase that led to an inner-sanctum of sorts. Unlike the woods that housed the Memorial, the glade was bright and colorful. The trees were thick, their leaves full and bright. The grass was equally healthy, and small animals and birds sounded contentedly in the wonder of the glade. The group were astounded…it almost seemed to good to be true.

The glade was really a long tunnel, a row of impassable close grouped trees sent the travelers in a certain direction. The end of this tunnel was very dark, almost to the point of sucking in the light around it.

As they got closer to the end, they began to hear noises. Music actually. Saria stopped and looked around, trying to get a feel of the source. The others slowed down, the music getting louder. It was actually more than chanting…a chanting of Hyrule's Royal Family Anthem.

"This is….." Zelda started. She searched for the source of the voices. They were both male and female, young and old. They sung beautifully, but with a type of foreboding ._ "Why does this feel so familiar…"_ she thought to herself.

They continued to the dark end of the path, and as they neared, the music faded. Finally, they were inside the darkness. Inside was a circle of trees, bunched up closely against each other. A huge canopy covered the area, and the object in the middle, embedded deeply in a slab of rock.

The object was covered in moss and weeds, but it was easy enough to tell what it was. The Sword of Evil's Bane. The Master.

As soon Link laid eyes on it, several dark shapes burst into the area. The flew in from the outside of the room, and stood side by side along the perimeter. 

The wraiths took the shape of a Hylian elf, garbed in Kokiri clothing. For the most part, they were similar and shape and size. They only varied somewhat in weight, demeanor and height, but for the most part, they all resembled Link. Zelda, Malon, Ruto, Nabooru and Saria stared and shocked amazement. Link just looked down at his feet. 

Zelda noticed them all now. They wore the same clothes, and most had the same weapons. Some had the broadsword, some with the single edged-blade like Link wore. Some had shields, some didn't. 

There was a large muscular one, standing with arms crossed and grinning widely. There was many that looked just like the boy standing with them. There was a tall lanky one that looked very awkward, but joyous nevertheless. There was a young man, around 17, he looked as if he were new somehow. Zelda thought she saw a glimpse of a young child inside him. 

She then noticed another Wraith. Like the rest, he looked like Link, but he was more gaunt. His muscles were hard and defined, but were thin. His face wore a scowl, and he gave off a look of viciousness and mercilessness. But the most defining feature about this one were his eyes. They were a cold, steel gray.

Zelda whipped around at Link, who was still looking at his boots. "Link! Who-"

"They're Link's of the Past." Link said quietly. " I guess they've come to see if all of their effort has been for nothing."

*********

Malon walked up to him, extremely concerned. "What do you mean?" she asked carefully.

Link sighed. "I mean…they're here to see if my training has been worth their time." He looked up to each girl in turn. "They're how I know how to fight. I've seen them many times…more than I'd like to remember."

He looked at the Wraiths now, standing in silence. "It started when I left the Kokiri…as if the Holy Woods blocked them from entering my mind. The _first night out, _they came into my mind…my dreams. They invaded me without so much as a knock." He glanced down at his blade. "They formed the sword they saw fit in me, and began to train me there. Every night, all night, they thought me something. They taught me so many ways to kill, it made me sick, but they still pushed and pushed. They weren't content until they showed me everything there was about the art of violence."

Link turned to Zelda, staring at her intensely. "After a while, I started to learn more than just sword techniques from them. That one…" he indicated the gray-eyed one. "..that one had a harsh time when he was alive. His rage made him powerful. He'd just slip into his anger…and everything else would be moot." Link smiled sadly at the thought. "I guess….I guess I learned that from him too."

He looked at Malon sadly. "That's why I was really cranky most mornings, sorry." He looked back at the spirits in front of him. "I thought it was all a figment of my imagination, just a really bad recurring dream. I thought it even more so when they stopped coming to me last year." Finally, Link took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I guess it's not my imagination if you guys can see them too." 

***********

Zelda shook her head slowly, then turned to the others. All of them, all these different Link's of the Past, their abilities and personalities…all manifested in this one boy. How was this possible? There was absolutely no documentation of this ever happening with ANY other Link. Not only that, with all these personalities flowing around in Link, which one was his?

Who was it she had such strong feelings for? Did he even exist?

Zelda was a bit startled when Link brushed by her, towards the Sword. He turned to her briefly, then the others. "Enough lolly-gagging. Let's do what we're here to do." With that, he turned to Evil's Bane, and took a step forward.

"**NO**"

Link halted. He stared hard at the mossy blade, then took another step forward.

"**DON'T!**"

He continued moving, every step causing another protestation from the Holy Blade. He stepped up until it was right at the edge of the stone slab that held the Sword.

Link took a deep breath, peering at the Broadsword. He steeled himself, and brought a gloved hand up to the blades mossy handle. He touched it, just the slightest bit….

…..and with a thundering blast, he was blown back to the side of the room, back slamming hard against the wall of trees.

Leaves fell down hard on him, and he struggled to get up to his feet. Someone tried to help him up…he didn't know who. He brushed her away angrily. He checked his nose for blood, then leveled a vicious stare at the Sword.

"You bastard…."

Saria came up to him. "Link…" she started calmly.

Link ignored her, striding up to the Master Sword. "You rat BASTARD!" he screamed. "You want to play around with ME? That's fine, but it's THEM-" he pointed to the young women near the entrance. " It's THEM and the rest of the World you're damning….not ME!"

Link put a gloved hand on the handle. A screech of power blasted his ears, and he was shoved back from the Weapon. He skidded to a halt, staying on his feet, dust and dirt blowing up beneath his soles. He stood there for a second, pain wracking his body. Then he looked up again, a viscous look on his face. His eyes were a very light brown.

Ruto looked at the others frantically. "You think we should stop him?" she asked. Before they could answer, Link was on top of the Sword again.

"Whatever you think of me…." He said calmly, putting a grip on the handle. Dark waves of energy flowed in from the air, surging into the Sword, and pounding through Link. "…..ARHG….whatever you think of me…." Link rasped, as he put another hand on the handle.

Another wave of force crashed through the Sword, threatening to blast Link apart. He could feel the bones rattling in his body, but he still hung on…as if for dear life."

"….you're…..going to…HELP….THEM!!!" Link blasted.

The rock holding the Sword exploded, and a brilliant painful light flared in the area. A wave of force pulsed through the room. The girls were picked off their feet, a blue and white light enveloping them. They were aware…and then…there was nothing.

********* 

Malon blinked slowly, getting up to her knees, wiping at her eyes. She looked around, they were above the Inner Sanctum, in the memorial. The other women were getting up too. She looked around desperately, until she found what she was looking for.

Link lay flat on his back, breathing heavily. Another sword, similar to the one in his scabbard lay in his hand. The handle had 3 small stones, blue red and green, emedded in it, and halfway up to blade was the mark of the Triforce.

Malon, Nabooru, Ruto, Zelda and Saria all looked at each other. Link's eyes shot open, a dark brown color, and he smiled at them.

"I guess I should have known it wouldn't have been easy." He gasped, getting to his feet. Still it was there, and it was in their possession. Evil's Bane. Master Sword.

Link grinned and let his head fall back to the ground. Now the next hunt, the one for the _ghanim_s, would begin. 

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NEXT:**So you want to hunt a _ghanim_ ? Where do you start? Hmmm…. Maybe the Master Sword knows? Next Chapter, we learn even more about this Link…including his heritage. This one was looooong. If it was a problem, let me know! I'll make it shorter in the future. Well, I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Please review! Later! (o'.')o**


	14. Evil's Bane V3.2

Evil's Bane

V 3.2

By (o'.')o ( Da Kirby Kid.)

Disclaimer:

I had a good disclaimer all written up... but it actually doesn't matter. I found out that in about 72 hours, the moon is going to fall on the Earth and wipe us all out. It's all over people. Little things like Disclaimers and Copyrights are all moot... what? You say Link already fixed that problem up. Hot damn that boy is good. Well, never mind then... The Legend of Zelda and all subsequent characters are property of the good people at Nintendo

Note from the Author.

I'm very sorry I haven't written for the past few months! Heck, school and a lot of other stuff got in the way. Huff. Well, anyhoo.... if you guys still wish to read...this is for you!

On another, more angry note, I had completed this story, when my !*#$!)*##ed useless software had a *#@&(ing error, and promptly shut itself down! RAAAAAAGE!!!! I lost everything. I guess it's my not for not saving regularly….oh screw that! It's the (*&#@ing software's fault! I am SO PISSED right now I cannot believe it. I feel like crying. Maybe I'll cry myself to sleep. (v-_-)

*******

In the Last Chapter

Well, Link had the final Key in which to unlock the Master Sword and destroy Knataghanim and his master...but there was just one problem, no one knew where the Master Sword was. Ruto, however, gave Link the suggestion to look underground in the War Memorial, which is where they found the Holy Blade. There, they also found out Link's secret, that he had been plagued since childhood by spirits of the Links of the Past. Link had to fight hard against Evil's Bane for it to accept him, but accept him it did. Now Link has the Master Sword, and the only thing left is to find the bad guys....but where to look?

And now, on with 3.2

********

It had been 2 weeks since the Master Sword was awakened from it's eternal ( _sometimes __interrupted__ by times of Trouble _). Link, Malon, Zelda, Saria, Ruto and Nabooru searched the countryside for some sign of Knata and his kin. Despite their efforts, they found not a trace of the evil young warrior, or those he called _Ghanims._

It was evening when they gathered around a campsite, only miles away from Castle Hyrule. Link had suggested many times that they return to the Castle and consult the King about the situation.

"That's why you were given the task of wielding the **Master Sword**, Link, because counting on you for good ideas would be fatal to Goddess and Country." was her response.

Link took it rather well, remembering who it was coming from. Besides, he knew what her reasoning was, she simply didn't want to go back to the castle. For some reason.

He had suggested to the girls to head back to their respective homes many times during the last 2 weeks. The responses ranged from a polite disagreement from Saria to a threat of violence from Nabooru. Link shook his head, dirty blonde strands of hair swaying gently. What was with them? Exactly what kind of death wish did they have? He was in position of **Evil's Bane**, a sword so powerful it draws evil to it, so it can be destroyed.

Evil that may destroy the girls before the **Master Sword** could even get its chance.

He felt the weight of the blade resting against his hip, and for the first time since he held a sword, he felt uncomfortable. Everything about **Evil's Bane** seemed wrong. Even though it was the same shape of his old sword, the blade was a few inches longer, and it was a bit heavier. Link had had to practice his forms again, and it was almost like starting over. Nabooru had helped of course. It was nice having a live partner for once.

And of course, the Links of the Past worked him in his dreams.

This was a shock... but not too much of one. He had not seen the Wraiths for several years, not until he first laid eyes on the **Master Sword.** He guessed they thought he needed to learn a few new tricks. Link did... especially from the gray eyed Link.

Saria glanced at Link, noticing his deepening scowl. "Maybe...." she started. Esea, her fairy, jumped to life after having resting on her shoulder.

"Maybe what?" The fairy said, her voice tingling like a small bell.

"It's nothing really."

"Speak up girl!" Esea pushed. "These guys are boring me. If you have a good idea, speak out!"

"Yeah Saria" Link said smiling. "Share with us. No need to be shy."

Saria reddened. "I'm not shy!" she said strongly. "It's just, I wanted to be sure we were finished here before I suggested ..."

"Of for the sake of the Goddess ..." Zelda whispered. "What is it?"

"I thought maybe we should leave Hyrule!" Saria blurted. " I mean, at least Central Hyrule."

Link stared silently for a moment. That idea had never occurred to him. " Well ... where would we go?"

Saria nodded, as if sensing the question was coming. "We could go to _Hirocco_ ," she started. " that's where I stayed when I left the Woods. It's a nice town, but they're not really into the Monarchy." Saria said, glancing at Zelda nervously.

Zelda huffed. "What's the point of going there then?"

"Couldn't hurt." Link said.

"Who asked you?"

Link was about to retort when Saria stepped in. "I made a few friends while I was there! One of them's a scientist. He might now something about how to find these _Ghanims_."

Malon looked at her strangely, then at Link. "_Scientist_? Link shrugged.

"Search me." He said with a little smirk. "Maybe it's some sort of magician."

"Kind of, but they use chemicals and earthy materials instead of magic." Zelda explained.

"Isn't that what a Mechanic or Blacksmith is?"

"It's different than that."

"In any case..." Nabooru camly broke in, " we should follow Saria's suggestion. How will we acquire a boat to get across Lake Hylia?"

Saria smiled. "We don't have to go across the river to get to Hirocco." She then looked over at Nabooru. "We could cross the desert. I didn't want to do it because I was alone, but the 6 of us should make it no problem."

Zelda smiled and clapped her hands. "Great! We can even stay in Gerudo country for a while! It'd be great to see the clan Mother again!"

At that, Nabooru suddenly became very nervous. She stared at Saria with shock, then leveled her gaze at the ground, blushing nervously. Link was amazed.

Ruto, who had been sitting quietly, listening to the others yammer on, got up to her feet. "Well, if you guys are going through the desert, then I'm outta here." she smiled at all of them and gave Link a little wink. "My delicate skin won't survive the journey. I'll meet you all in Hirocco."

Everyone waved at her as she left the group to the nearest body of deep water. Everyone except Nabooru that is. She still sat cross legged and cross armed, staring at the ground, her face a dark shade of red.

Link noticed this and leaned forward. "What's wrong there, Naboo-"

"Do we need to stop in Gerudo country?" Nabooru said meekly, not looking up. Link was smiling widely. She was afraid to go home too. This was getting funny.

Before he could even twitch, Nabooru latched out with to fingers and captured Link's nose. He yelped, which just prompted her to pull harder. Tears formed in his eyes before Nabooru found enough mercy in her cold heart to release him. Link flew back and landed hard on his back, clutching his nose and holding back tears.

It'd be a while before he decided to mock Nabooru again.

Zelda laughed vindictively at the violent assault, then turned her pretty face to the other girl. "What's wrong? I think the den Mother would be happy to see us! I say we go." With that, Zelda took to her feet and towards her horse, Destiny, who had been chatting happily with Epona about things horses talk about. The others got up and followed suit.

Reluctantly, Nabooru followed. She knew she wouldn't enjoy this.

*********

Upon entering the valley, they were accosted by a big Gerudo woman. She was at least 7 feet tall, and a large nose featured prominently on her exotic Gerudo features. She wore an elaborate headdress, more much more elaborate than Nabooru's or most of the other Gerudo. She came up to Zelda got her in a crushing hug.

"Little Zelda!!" she boomed. "It's been so long! How is your father!?"

Zelda was crushed against the woman's ample bosom, and was having a tough time breathing. "Ugh….Mother*….it's good to….eek…see you too." Zelda smiled, maintaining her composure.

*no, she's not Zelda's mother. That's just the title the Den leader of this Gerudo clan is given.

Link found the picture of the demure and near-saintly princess of Hyrule being held like a swaddled baby to be extremely funny. It would have been funny if Mother was a large woman, but she was cut like a stone _( That's not to say she was a Goron…oh never mind_. ) That is to say, she was extremely fit. 

Link glanced over at Nabooru, who refused to make eye contact. She was very fit too, but her muscles didn't seem as hard as the older Gerudo, or like most of the other Gerudo women. Link remembered that she was young. Still, it seemed to him…and most other elves…that Nabooru was more…feminine than the other Gerudo.

Esea leapt out of Saria's orbit and looked at the group of Gerudo women that were greeting them. Saria smiled and greeted all of them. She noticed something, and turned to Link. "Where are the men? I don't see any?"

"There are no men." Link whispered.

Saria small mouth opened slightly. "How's that possible!? Even Kokiri have different gender."

Link smiled. He had the same reaction when he found out about the Gerudo. Ingo and Talon had taught Link and Malon about the Gerudo when they were young.

"Well, actually, men are born every 1000 years." Link leaned close to the girl. " In the meantime, some Gerudo leave the clan to find a partner, mostly for the purpose of getting pregnant."

He greeted another warrior and continued. "If they have a girl, she's all Gerudo, and the mother takes her back to the clan, to raise her with the other Gerudo. If it's a boy, well, he stays with the father."

Saria frowned. "That's seems a bit sad."

The boy shrugged. "That's how it is. Some Gerudo women leave the clan for truly romantic reasons. It's rare though."

Link grinned widely. "And then some Gerudo women fulfill their romantic needs with other-"

"Don't say it."

"-Gerudo women." 

"I asked you not to say it!" Saria said, blushing furiously. Link laughed and hugged the girl closely.

"Oh grow up!" he said, smiling. Esea flew to Link and kicked him square in the nose. Link's hand flew to his nose again. "OW! What the-"

"You leave it to me to teach her about stuff like that!" Esea flared. "Know your place!"

Link grumbled, but the other Gerudo had already taken Saria and the others into the camp. There was to be a meeting later that night. Link thought that'd be ample time to get his nose fixed.

********

It was a briskly cold night, but the large campfire in the center of camp warmed anyone that happened to even stray near it. There was a circle of log seats around the camp fire. Nabooru, Zelda, Malon and Saria sat around it, and Mother sat on a seat to the relative North of the circle.

Link came out of a nearby tent. Seeing as to how his clothes had been ripped up in the previous few weeks, the Gerudo helped him out with a new sampling of clothing. He still had his green tunic that went down to below his waist. He now had a black belt buckled around his waist, and underneath the bottom part of his tunic, were a pair of leather shorts that cut below his knees. He still had his fingerless gloves and his boots. The **Master Sword** was now buckled against his back, parallel to the ground, handle facing to his right.

Link had decided that because of the new weight of the sword, this new position would be more practical in battle. Of course, he had to completely re-learn the complex sheath-strike technique. Link new that meant many future dreamless nights. The Link's of the past now had a bit more to teach him.

He sat down next to Malon and Saria, opposite of Nabooru and Zelda. Mother nodded now that Link had joined the group. She looked the boy up and down.

"Mmm, Mmm. My you're a handsome one." She smiled, causing Link to grin widely, scratching the back of his head. Mother nodded. "It's no wonder, knowing your lineage."

Link's smile faded quickly. This woman didn't bother to pussy around, and went right for the meat of the conversation. "My…lineage?"

Zelda turned to the Mother. "Are you saying you knew Link's parents?"

"Well…." She started "… at least one of them."

Link gaped. "W-what the hell-" He stopped and composed himself. "I'm sorry. What do you mean?"

Mother looked at Nabooru, who still refused to make eye contact. Mother then at the boy. "You have Gerudo blood in you boy. Your mother was from this clan. It's as plain as the nose on your face."

The others gasped audibly… all except Nabooru, who remained strangely silent. Link stared at the elder, mouth agape. "_My…mother…_" he thought.

"Are you saying you knew Link's mother!?" Zelda exclaimed. "That she was Gerudo."

Mother nodded. "Yes. She left the clan when she was around Nabooru's age. I thought she would be gone for a year or so, but she never came back." The woman looked over to Link. "Her name was _Nissa_"

"_Nissa._" Link thought intensely. "_My mother…._"

Mother looked around the circle. "You never knew her, did you Link?"

Link shook his head, bringing his hands up to his head. He squeezed his eyes shut, his head pounding. Saria patted his knee, and Malon gave him a light embrace.

Zelda looked over at him, then at Mother. "He told us, she left him when he was just a child. We have reason to believe she's dead."

Mother nodded knowingly. "Perhaps I should have been a bit more sensitive. I assumed a Gerudo Warrior like Nissa would still be alive. I apologize, Link."

Link looked up, smiling widely. "Sorry for what? You told me my mothers name!" he said, grinning. "T…Thank you."

Mother returned his smile, and then turned and slapped Nabooru on the back. "Finally, we've found a suitable man for you, right child?"

Nabooru blushed again. "No!"

Link smirked at her. "_Gee, nice to know you care._" He thought sarcastically.

"Oh yeah?" She looked over to Nabooru's friends. "Do you know why she left the clan? Her 14th birthday, her Passing into Womanhood, is coming soon. As a part of our custom, she went to get a gift, a parting gift of her childhood to give to the rest of the clan." She looked over to Nabooru, he was staring at the ground, gripping her pants until her knuckles were white.

"What did you get, Nabooru?"

Nabooru struggled visibly. "The…..the Fire Key" 

"And where is it now?"

The young Gerudo struggled again. Suddenly Link was concerned this was more than just the run-of-the-mill family embarrassment. "I…I gave it to _him_." She squeezed through clenched teeth.

"See!" Mother smiled. "Gerudo girls only give their Passing gifts to others they intend to ma-"

"NO!" Nabooru cried. "It's not like that!! Why do you have to do this! Why are you so…." She stopped once she saw the look the Elder was giving her. She suddenly felt 10 inches tall.

"I….I'm sorry." Nabooru whispered. She got to her feet and quickly left the clearing.

Zelda stared after her, wanting to say something. She looked morosely at Mother, who shook her head. 

"She's always like that. Too serious. She should learn to have a little fun once in a while." She looked over at the others. "Well, in any case, you young ones should go and rest up before you leave tomorrow. Try to enjoy yourselves."

She reached over and laid an arm on Link's shoulder. "And welcome Link. You've got family now." She smiled. "Well, kind of."

"_Kind of…_" Link thought. Even now, knowing of his Gerudo heritage, he still didn't have a complete or real family.

He conceded that he probably never will.

**********

It was deep into the night. Zelda and the others had long gone to bed . Nabooru was still up however, turmoil raging through her heart and her mind.

She was balancing herself on a log, about 6 feet tall and only 5 inches in diameter. It wasn't a problem for her though. She had always had the best balance of poise of the other Gerudo. She was always the best when it came to anything among the Gerudo…and therefore, among all the people of Hyrule.

All except that _boy_.

Just thinking about him caused Nabooru to lose a bit of her balance. She regained it quickly. Nabooru had been emberassed beyond belief, and she was incensed….not because of Mother, but at herself for losing it…and at Link for causing her such strange pain.

She simply didn't know what to do. No matter how she meditated, how she fought with herself, she couldn't dismiss these feelings she was having. It was unraveling her. Nabooru looked up at the bright moon, shining against the clear sky fighting to hold back tears. For the first time in her life, she felt helpless.

It was a frightening feeling.

Link stepped into the moonlight, hands behind his back. He paused, looking at the girl who was balancing on the log. Nabooru turned her back to him, briefly loosing her balance in the process.

"Nabooru….what's wrong?" Link inquired. He stepped closer to her. "You've been acting weirdly ever since Zelda suggested we come here. Was it Mother?" He chuckled slightly. "You know how old folks are. Did I ever tell you the time Ingo had a girlfriend over, and how he decided to regale her with tales of my first milking? That's how you spell embarrassment."

"It's not Mother." Nabooru said quietly. "Please go."

"Then what is it?" Link stepped closer. Nabooru felt herself coming apart. "I don't understand. Just tell us…"

"It's you!" Nabooru said sharply. Her resolve fell, and she tumbled off the log…

..and straight into Link's arms.

He had slid quickly and caught the falling girl, slamming into the ground hard on his back.

Nabooru looked at him in the eye. "It's you." She breathed, gravitating towards him. 

"You really annoy me." With that, she kissed him on the lips. 

Link kissed her back, pressing his lips against hers, opening his mouth slightly to take hers in. While this was his first real true kiss, for some reason it felt strangely natural.

He brought his fingers up to her face, caressing it gently. Nabooru fell deeper into his embrace.

Thoughts were rushing through her head. Thoughts of Link and herself, thoughts of the strange need and longing she now had. 

Then another thought screamed in her head, and made it's way to the foreground.

Loyalty

Nabooru placed her hands on Link's face and pushed away from him, breaking the embrace. She rolled off him and got to her feet. "Link…" she breathed. 

Link watched her from his seat on the ground. "Wha…"

"Forget about that." She said. "It was a mistake."

Link stared at her. Nabooru rushed on, all the while avoiding his eye-contact. "We're both tired. It's very late. A..and we're both warriors…it's natural for ….that to have happened." She wiped her mouth carefully. "We'll just forget about it…ok?"

"Forget!?" Link voiced. "How can we forget!?" Granted, Nabooru was probably right. It probably was an accident. They were young after-all, and tired. Things happen. Still, forget? "Nabooru…"

The girl started to leave, and Link grabbed her by the arm. "What's the problem? Tell me, what's wrong?"

"I can't….I won't betray her."

"Betray…" Link started. "Who?"

"Zelda, you idiot!" Nabooru cried. She turned on him, looking him in the eye. "She cares for you, deeply, and I wont betray her!" 

Link had 1000 things to say, but couldn't find the words. He released Nabooru's arm, and she left quickly into the night, leaving him alone. 

The boy fell to the ground, sitting down, and stared at the bright moon in the sky. He found himself wishing that Knataghanim was here so that they could fight.

He was positive that that potential bloody battle would be much easier to bear than the that was raging in his heart.

NEXT: Well wasn't that peaceful. Poor Link. It seems he's having girl trouble. Well, in the next installment, he'll find a solution. You probably wont like it though…but who knows? After that installment, the hunt for those pesky Ghanims will take place. Don't worry, it wont be that long, and there'll be more action. This one and the next one won't have too much action. Hey, we can't have action all the time! I'm building setting and mood here! Ahh! Oh well, I hope you'll stick around. Until then….I bid you a good day/night, please review still J ….and I hope your writing software is better to you than it has been to me. :/ --(o'.')o


	15. Evil's Bane V3.3

Evil's Bane

V 3.3

By: (o'.')o (pc_prettycool@email.com)

Disclaimer:

Today I thought I'd sing for you. Here goes. 'Too Hot to handle, Too Cold to hold... Link's a bad mutha and he's owned....by Nintendo that is'. I guess that doesn't really rhyme.... Darn. I suck.

Note from the Author:

Hey guys. I just wanna say that I _don't _hate Yaoi fics. I like yaoi fics that are just plain good fics! I'm sorry to say that I'm not a big _sap_ fan. I like emotion, I like angst...but I don't like sap.

Now, for today I thought I'd give you some utterly _random_ and overall _useless_ thoughts: I like _Teletoon's _commercial _for Card Captor Sakura! _It's killer! I also actually like the _Pok_é_mon Jhoto _themesong. Just for Digimon fans, the next few episodes concerning the Emperor should be pretty cool...I saw some sneak pics :p. Sue me. Last utterly random thought: Majora's Mask rules!

Do you like this font? I won't use it for the actual story...but if you like it, I'll change my mind next time. I always did like Comic Sans. (v@-@)

One last point. I apologize for the spacey wierd formatting. I really can't do anything about it. Word 95 doesn't convert to HTML. If anyone has any suggestions ... send help!

Last Chapter:

After searching fruitlessly for the Ghanims, Saria suggested they move over to the other side of Hyrule...to a town she used to frequent called Hirocco. On the way they stopped at the Gerudo valley...much to the chagrin of Nabooru. There, they found out that their Link was in fact, of Gerudo blood. Link's mother, was Gerudo. Later that night Link realized he had very strong feelings towards Nabooru, and revealed them in a kiss. Then he found out that Zelda has feelings for him too. What's going on? Link's as confused as I am. 

And now, on with our tale.

She repeated the conversation over and over in her mind.

"_Now that you know about him Nabooru, you're going to have to be extra careful." The Gerudo Clan Mother warned. No matter what, you must not forget that he is not really one of us. He is a male, afterall. Do not be foolish enough to reveal the Gerudo Keepsake to him."_

Nabooru huffed angrily. "I'm not an idiot, Mother. And I'm not a child. Don't treat me like one. I'm not about to tell him anything, least of all the Keepsake of the clan."

"I'm not too sure." Mother grinned. "He isa good looking young man. I'm sure you'd blurt anything in throes of passion." She narrowed her eyes at the young Nabooru. "You haven't experienced anything such as that have you?"

Nabooru blushed angrily. "The only passion I experience is in the battlefield!" she said, rather forcefully. "Why do you always do this to me!"

"Relax! Please!" Mother pleaded. She put an arm around the girl. "You must learn not to take things so seriously. You have to learn that, and I hope you do amongst these people. I have a feeling they're fine kids. Have fun." She took the girls chin in her hand and brought her face gently to face her own. "Most of all, be careful. We care for you, understand?"

Nabooru was a bit perplexed at the show of emotion, but it was rather comforting. "I understand. I'll be careful. Besides, these 'kids' are quite capable on their own."

Mother smiled. "I'm sure." she said slyly. She released the girls face and pushed her along. "You go now. Have fun."

Nabooru smiled slightly and caught up with the others as they left the Gerudo's home. "fun..." she thought to herself. "Sorry Mother, but that's not what's on my mind for this trip."

*************

Nabooru had a lot of time to think about this conversation. It took her mind off of what happened the night before they left the camp. The 'incident' as she refers to it in her mind. Several times during the trip, she glanced towards him. Link didn't even seem to notice. She envied him, he seemed to have been able to push the event towards the back of his mind, if not forget it entirely.

She wasn't having an easy a time with it.

The trip across the desert was an uneventful one. Zelda developed many bunions and complained vehemently to everyone, which annoyed Malon to no end, and she told the Princess to be quiet, which resulted in a fight that Link had to break up. Esea went heat crazy and thought that Saria's hair was actually leaves of a Deku tree, so she attempted to eat them...because Esea thought she was some kind of animal that eats things like that. This caused Saria to run like mad, only to be caught in a sand trap. They had to use the horses to pull her out. Afterwards, the horses protested being ridden by ANYONE, and they all had to walk on foot until they reached the end of the journey across the desert, making Link want to kill everyone, and making everyone else kind of afraid.

Like I said, pretty uneventful.

The town of Hirocco was very similar to the town of Hyrule. ( The one right before the Castle ). There were a lot of strange differences though. The town seemed more populated, or at least more dense. People were bustling through and fro, always busy, with something to do. There were a lot of strange devices that the group had never seen before, devices that churned wheels, and caused a thick grey steam to be pushed out into the sky above the town.

What the others didn't know that Saria did, was that this was a town of technology. A long time ago, the people on this side of Hyrule (The West) had forsook the magical ways of East Hyrule and the monarchy, and embraced what was known as '_Mortal Magic_." They deemed it much more reliable than the Elven magic that flowed through the world, and was manipulated heavily by Sages and Magicians in East Hyrule.

Since '_Mortal Magic__' _was created by the people that used it, it was deemed safer, less prone to evil doings, and all in all more respectable to use. The town prided itself on its Mechanics Scientists, and Inventors, sometimes 'gracing' East Hyrule with the machines they create, such as tubes that carry sound from one long distance to another.

Link was amazed, but he doubted that this 'Mortal Magic' was any better than the real one. Perhaps he was biased. He and the Link's of the Past, along with most of the people THEY knew, were heavily submersed in Magic. If it wasn't for Magic, Ganondorf would rule this world, and these 'inventors would be lucky if they could think for themselves ever again.

'Mortal Magic.' Link didn't buy it.

Neither did Zelda, who was deeply baptized in the art of Magic. She grew more and more agitated the longer they stayed in the bustling streets of Hirocco. Saria saw this and hurried through the streets. Zelda was impressed. She never saw the little Kokiri ( or ex-Kokiri in this case ) be so aggressive. Saria pushed and shoved clueless people out of the way, like people seemed to be doing to everyone else. Zelda supposed Saria wasn't kidding when she said she spent some time with these people...and unfortunately, some of their traits had rubbed off. 

Finally they reached a two-leveled house in the middle of a long row of similar strangely designed houses. There were metal pipes running around the back of the house, and the same grey steam plowed out of the end of such a pipe into the sky.

Saria turned to the others. "This is my friend's house. He and his family were kind enough to let me stay." She leaned towards the others, cupping her hand over her mouth. "Like I said, he's a Scientist ...so he might be a bit weird to you. But he's really a good guy. Just be on your best behavior allright?" She glanced at Link and Zelda for emphasis.

Zelda was a bit flustered. She wasn't used to being talked to like some child being told to behave at an grown-up social event. She hadn't been talked to like that for a long time. Still, it was Saria's call. Link scratched the back of his head and grinned largely.

"Don't worry" He told the girl in green. "I promise not to embarrass you. Heh heh."

Saria looked at him sharply, which caused the grin fall off of Link's face. Then she turned to Zelda. "And I think it'd be better to _not_ tell them you're the Princess of Hyrule, um.. Princess." Saria said cautiously. "I don't want to intimidate them. I really think we can get some good information if we don't. 

Zelda shrugged. "After that trek through the desert, I don't even look like a Princesses maid, not to mention a Princess."

Link thought that was a pretty mean thing to say of Princesses Maids ...because Zelda looked pretty bad right now. No matter, Saria was satisfied. She walked to the door and prepared to knock, when the door opened.

"Ye should know better by now, Green." the voice from inside said happily. The other's looked in as Saria smiled warmly.

Greeting them was a boy, who was not much older than Link. He had a short sleeved shirt on, and he wore baggy overalls with many pockets, all which seemed to hold notes or some tools . His face was handsome enough, and on his nose rested a small pair of spectacles. His hair was unruly and was a very light blonde...almost white.

He calmly walked up to Saria and put his arms around her. She stiffened for a second. She knew he missed her, but she didn't suspect this.

"T'is _really_ good to see you again, Green." the boy said, pushing his spectacles up the bridge of his nose. "Ma will be ecstatic to find you've returned."

Saria's smile increased, and she turned a slight shade of red. " I'm glad Evit. I missed you and your family too." 

Link coughed... not for attention, but because something was caught in his throat. Still, Zelda kicked him in the shin, causing him to yelp and grab the offended limb. 

If anything good came out of that attack, it was that Saria realized that her friends were standing outside. She blushed again. "Evit, can we come in?"

"Of course." the boy replied. "What was I thinking? Please." He stood to the side and ushered them in.

Link and Malon bowed involuntarily ...something he learned to do when entering others houses. Zelda walked in as if she owned the place, something that made Evit raise an eyebrow. Everyone was amazed at the inside of the house. Pipes ran throughout the roof and the walls, seeming to give the place heat without the use of an open fireplace. Weird contraptions and inventions littered the place. It was something to behold.

A large woman with a plump but happy face walked out of a large room down the hallway. "I don't believe me eyes!" the woman said, running up to the little girl in green. She gave her a big teary-eyed hug. Saria and Evit laughed.

"Please!" She laughed. "Mrs. Stal! It's good to see you too, but I'm kinda busy...." The woman got the message and slowly released her. Saria sighed. "I want to introduce some of my friends."

Saria turned and put her hands on the Princess's shoulders. "This is Ze...Zel." she stammered. Zelda stiffly nodded, then bowed. She was about to try a curtsy when Saria moved over to the redhead. "This is Malon, from Lon Lon Ranch," Malon curtsied and said something about how nice it was to meet them. Saria turned to the taller girl. "This is Nabooru. She's a Gerudo."

"Obviously." Evit said lightly. Then he bowed to each of them, "T'is my perfect pleasure meeting ye. Any friend of Green, be a friend of mine."

Then Saria turned to Link, looked at him for a second, then put her hands on his shoulders.

"This is Link. He's also from Lon Lon Ranch." she said.

Link rubbed his right hand on his tunic and held it out for the Mother and son to shake. The mother took it vigorously. Evit looked at Links hand briefly, then leveled a smile at him.

"Link, eh?" he said, nearly smirking. "Green's told me _a lot _about ya." 

Link met the boy's eyes. "That's funny. She told me _nothing_ about you."

Saria gasped, mortified at Links insult. Evit however, grinned and caught Link's hand in a strong shake. "Well met. Truth be told, I didnae think ye Easterners had it in ye."

Link returned his grin and his handshake. This guy wasn't going to be a pushover. Link decided he liked him already.

*************

Mrs. Stal prepared a modest meal of lamb sides, hot mashed potatoes, chicken soup, warm buttered bread and other small various goodies, including a light wine. She called it something she just 'whipped' up. The went at it ravenously. To them, if they died right now, they'd be very satisfied.

Saria began to ask Evit many times during the dinner questions about the Ghanim and Knata in particular, but Evit quickly put a finger to her lips.

"I'm sorry darlin' " he started. "But yur absolutely filthy. T'is sad but true. Ye all looked like ye've been thoroughly trashed by a pack of Wolfos, and their mothers." The girls flushed at the insult. Nabooru was seriously thinking about explaining to the pup their trials, and why they look less then stellar. Of course, if Nabooru explained it, then there'd be a good chance Evit wouldn't survive the lesson. Link sniffed his tunic and made a 'blah' noise, proving Evit's point.

To his credit, Evit did see the look on the girls faces. He moved up his specs and put his hands up in the air. "Hold on, hold on! All I'm sayin is, there'll be no discussion until ye've all freshened up and made yurselves completely relaxed. There'll be no doubtin' that you deserve it." He leaned forward, grinning slightly. "Am I right, or am I right?"

"Well...." Zelda started "....it depends what you have for us to freshen up with."

The grin on Evit's face widened. "Oh, I think ye'll like what our humble abode has t' offer."

**************

In East Hyrule, it was called a "Jet Bubble Tub."

Zelda had never experienced anything like it before, even in the castle. Pipes were sent into the side of a large wooden plated tub, and jets of hot water flowed into the tub, causing continuous heat and small bubbles to be pumped into the tub. Add to that a unique brand of soap found only in West Hyrule, and it equaled unadulterated pleasure to those who used it.

Zelda sighed with blissful content and sank deeper into the bubbling waters. Now only her head was above the water. 

Nabooru had taken her pony tail apart, and her long wet locks hung loosely around her face. She tried not to show it, but she was finding this extremely relaxing as well. 

Malon sank into the waters beside her, smiling contently. They _definitely_ have to get one of these at the ranch.

Even Esea was having a fun time. She washed herself in many of the bubbles floating and popping in the air. She bounced from one to another, sometimes being sucked inside for a playful little cleaning.

Saria had forgotten how good it felt. It was nice to experience this with her friends too. It was nice to have them all around, lounging in the bubble bath.

Well ... not _all_ her friends.

A couple of knocks on the other side of the door signified the boy's presence again. "Hey, what are you guys.... come on, we're all friends here!" Link cried.

"Get lost!" Zelda shouted, not bothering to open her eyes.

"Wait for your turn." Malon murmured.

"Come on! Hey, I promise not to open my eyes. I can feel my way around." He smiled unconsciously reached for the doorknob."

"You try that, and I'll rip it off." Nabooru said, without looking up. Link grimaced and dropped his hand. The boy slouched and banged his head against the door in frustration.

"Ah, girls can be so cruel." Evit said from the stairwell. Link straightened and walked over.

The white-haired boy noticed the sword strapped to Link's back. He chuckled. "You Easterners. I mean really, if ye really need to protect yurself, then why with that stone-aged prop?"

Link blinked. He gestured innocently to the handle sticking out to his right. "You mean this?"

Evit nodded and pulled out something from _his_ back. It was a small device, with a handle and a short barrel. Link looked at it curiously, peering inside the length of the barrel. Evit chuckled.

"See there, I could have killed you right there if I wanted."

Link looked up and backed away a bit. Evit explained. "This is a pistol. With enough powder fuel, it fires a small blast of superhot ash. T'is powerful enough to blow holes through walls. To destroy elven body is a synch." He waved the pistol around, circling it in his hand and aiming it at the walls and then at Link's head. "It's much more accurate, much more reliable and versatile than that archaic weapon."

He glanced over at Link, who was looking and listening intently. "You should try it. Ti's pretty obvious that you're the body-guard of the group. Ye'll have to protect 'em...so you should pack the proper hardware."

Link nodded, then bent his knees ever-so-slightly. Evit saw what was coming, but he was a bit too late. Link held the handle of the Master Sword in reverse, and whipped the sword out at a sonic speed, only to stop it an inch away from the barrel of Evit's pistol. To add to that, the flat side of his blade was resting only a foot away from Evit's neck. Evit's smile faded, and his face took on a look of slight shock.

Link smiled. "I get by." He withdrew the Master Sword and re-sheathed it behind his back. "See, I could have gotten that Pistol, and then with a lil' flip, I'd have gotten your neck too. Sword's aren't too cumbersome." Link scratched the back of his head and smiled. "You underestimated me, that's why I was able to do that. You're dangerous with that weapon, I'm tough with mine. It's all a question of what we're good at."

Evit stared at the tuniced-elf, then nodded. "Yur right, I did underestimate you. Tis a failin' of mine." He put the pistol away, fixed the position of his specs, and smiled. "Tis a mistake I wont make again."

"It'll be closer next time then" Link said smiling. 

Evit laughed. "Tis good to scrap wits with someone again. To tell ye the truth, this town was gettin boring. Ever since Green left, I was thinkin about traveling to East Hyrule to check her out, match wits with new people." Evit sighed. "I kinda wish it was like when Knata was still here."

Link nearly chocked on his spit. ( There's a pleasant imagery for ya! ) He stared at Evit wide-eyed. "What!? Who did you say?!"

Evit looked at him as if he was looking at a monkey with his hair on fire. "Knata, mate. What's the problem?"

"You _know_ Knata!?"

Evit shrugged. "Yeah. The kid and his brother lived with me when we were just children. He was my best friend for a while." He saw the look on Link's face and frowned. "What? Ye know something? Is he...is he in some kind of trouble?" 

Link gulped. It's a good thing the girls were relaxing now. The coming conversation would be sure to stress them right back up again.

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

Link and Co get info about Knata's past, and the coming and goings of the Ghanims. Link then makes a decision that is sure to anger a lot of people. After that, things are gonna pick up...story wise. Link, Malon, Zelda, Saria, Nabooru's and ( to a lesser extent ) Ruto's journey is going to get a lot tougher from then on....both physically and emotionally. It should be good! Stick around, and please review if you read. Later guys. (o'.')o


	16. Evil's Bane V3.4

Evil's Bane

V 3.4

By: (o'.')o (pc_prettycool@email.com)

Disclaimer:

I don't own Zelda, Nintendo does. I've never owned it....never will. Then again...maybe when I'm some bigshot something-or-other...I'll buy Nintendo and then I'll own Zelda. Then again, maybe not. Then again, Luigi does like his kickbacks. 

Note from the Author:

At the time I wrote this, Fanfiction.Net was way down. In fact, right now, I don't know what's going on, it's been down for over 3 days. Yeah I'm getting noticed. Well, anyway, I write this in hopes that Fanfiction.Net will recover so we can put up and read our favorite fics! Oh, and I'd still like your comments on the new font. 

One last one. I apologize for the spacey wierd formatting. I really can't do anything about it. Word 95 doesn't convert to HTML. If anyone has any suggestions... send help!

Last Chapter:

**Saria long ago got the idea of heading across the desert to West Hyrule, in an attempt to gather more information about Knataghanim and those called 'Ghanims.' In West Hyrule, in the city of Hirocco was where they ended up, in the house of a friend of the ex-Kokiri girl, Evit Stal and his mother welcomed the group with a good meal and a bath. However, the time for relaxing was not now, because Evit had a few things to say about the dangerous young demon called, Knata...**

And now, on with the tale.

***********

Evit ran quickly to the kitchen and filled up a pitcher of water. He could already smell some smoke wafting into the kitchen from his bedroom. Bits of water splashed to the wooden floor as he tried to make it quietly and safely back to his room.

"Evit!? What's that?" his mother called from the basement.

"Nothin ma!" Evit lied! "Donnae worry 'bout it!" Evit quickly scrambled to his room, where the smoke had started to billow. He threw the water on the smoking contraption in the middle of the room.

The small fire was put out. Evit ran to the large windows in his room and opened them out, waving smoke out of the room with his hand. He sighed sadly, he'd have to completely retry the experiment. The cost of the parts of the machine would have to come out of his allowance.

Just like last weeks allowance, and the week before that....and the week before that.

Evit went to the window sill. Now that the window was open, the cold rainy air from outside was making it's way in, shivering the boy and making him a bit more depressed. His room was like most of the rooms of the eccentric adult scientists in Hirocco, not like the other kids of 7 years of age. They were playing around, sports, games, toys. The only things Evit played with were things invented himself. And he wouldn't call it 'playing'. Of course, it always had to be an experiment. A solo experiment...always.

It was beginning to get lonely.

Evit shook his head angrily, his white locks brushing back and forth. He pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose and crossed his arms. He decided that scientists don't concern themselves with notions of 'loneliness'. If he was going to be the best, some sacrifices would have to be made.

Just when that sad thought was crossing his mind, the bell rang, signaling that someone had pushed the button that the little chime was connected to. But that particular chime belonged to the back door of the house. Evit placed it there because of a secret route for him to come back from school. Instead of coming through the main way, he could cut through many back alleys, and come in through the rear door.

So why was somebody else using it?

Evit ran down the stairs and to the back door. Cautiously, he went for the doorknob, reaching for the small pop-gun behind his back.

He opened the door. Outside were to boys, soaked and chilled to the bone in the rain. There was a tall one that looked around 14. He was thin, wearing a long black shirt with short sleeves. He had light tanned skin and his face had a slightly exotic feel to it, with slanted eyes and a long nose.

The shorter boy looked around Evit's age. He wore the same clothes the older boy wore. His skin was a bit lighter, and his nose slightly less elongated, but he looked basically like the older boy. Except for his eyes. His eyes were narrowed in anger. The boy shivered in the cold, seemingly getting angrier at showing weakness.

The older boy leaned forward and smiled, putting his hand on the younger's shoulder. "Hello. I'm Dain. This is my brother Knata. You mind if we come in and get something to snack on? We haven't really eaten anything all day."

Evit gulped. For some his older scientific thoughts of the silliness of being lonely flew out the wind. He let the boys in and prepared to make some lunch.

*************

"So, you just let him in? Just like that?" Zelda asked incredulously.

Evit shrugged. "Hey, he didn't look like a killer at the time. Besides, I was young and stupid. Maybe it was a bad thing to do, but it seemed like the right thing at the time."

Saria rubbed her arms, thinking about how cold and sad it must have been that day. She looked up at Zelda solemnly. "I would have done the same thing, Zel. It was just the right thing to do."

Zelda huffed and crossed her arms, a bit embarrassed at the kind rebuke. She looked over to Link, waiting for his opinion. Afterall, this 'poor shivering boy' was the same person who nearly killed them all only weeks ago. Link sat opposite of Evit and Saria on a plush chair in the middle of the heated living room.

Link noticed Zelda looking at him, and glanced over to Evit. "I never knew he had a brother. The way you describe them, it's...like...." he gulped, glancing over at Nabooru. "It's almost like you say they were part...um.."

"Gerudo." Nabooru said silently. She looked to Evit for conformation. "Is that true? Were they part Gerudo?"

Evit nodded. "Aye. I don't think it's such a big deal. I see plenty of Gerudo girls here in Hirocco. They come for dates, maybe to get hitched. T'is why I wasn't so nervous when I saw you, Nabooru."

"I only ask, because Link is half Gerudo too." Link stared at the ground at the remark. "I think it's quite a coincidence."

"Tis at that." Evit nodded. "Aye.... normally half-Gerudo boys aren't that big of an anomaly. There's a lot of them out there."

"So..." Link interjected "why were they by themselves? What was happening with them?"

Evit's look suddenly became very morose. "Well, like I said, they're half Gerudo...meaning their mother was Gerudo. In any case, their mother left the family. I guess she got tired of trying for a female child. Some Gerudo are like that. The father should have known the risks of getting involved with a Gerudo." He glanced at Nabooru nervously, expecting her to take it as an insult. 

The girl sat calmly and continued to listen. She knew what some of her people were like.

Nervously, Evit cleared his throat. "Well, like I said, their father should have been more prepared emotionally. I guess he wasn't. Shortly after their mother left..." Evit sighed. "He killed himself."

Malon groaned sadly. She had a friend who's parent had committed suicide. Malon considered it an extremely selfish and hateful thing for one to do to oneself. It was her opinion, but she took it to heart. 

Link grimaced. Was that was happened to his father? Did Nissa, his mother leave his father, causing him to end his own life? Link hoped strongly that he would stronger than that.

"You know..." Evit said, "Knata was a good kid. He had Gerudo fighting blood in him. He was also kind of an inventor. He made his own weapon, a cumbersome little dilly like yours." he smirked, pointing to the Master Sword strapped on Link's back. " He used an oar and changed the blades a bit. It was neat. We spared a lot, we had some fun you know.... but I always knew."

Evit sighed, resting his head in his hand. "He was very resentful of his parents. Always so full of anger and hatred. He called his father 'weak', and he always spoke _very_ ill of him. And he absolutely hated his mother. I thought Knata hated women in general, even though he always treated Ma with respect."

Zelda leaned forward. "What about his brother? Did he share that hatred?"

The white-haired boy shook his head. "No, Dain was completely different. He was kind and gentle, almost to a fault, like someone _else_ that I know." he winked at Saria. She blushed angrily and was on her way to rebuking him, but Evit went on as if nothing had happened.

"Dain was always angry at Evit for speaking ill of their parents like that. That was the cause of about 90% of their fights. Twas sad it was, but...it was always harmless..."

Link caught the pause in Evit's voice. "So, what happened to him, Evit? Why do you think Knata's the way he is now?"

The boy leaned back on the couch and sighed, thinking back in his mind. "It was only 2 years after they joined the household..." he started.

************

Evit squeezed his head between his hands. They were arguing again. Knata probably called their mother a bitch again or something. He hoped he had not badmouthed Ma, or he'd kick his ass himself. Of course, Knata thought the chance of him kicking Knata's ass by himself was remote. It'd be a good fight though, but it'd feel like punishment for both of them.

He sighed, blinking his eyes rapidly. He took his spectacles off and brushed at them. Even with Dain and Knata yelling at each other, he still couldn't keep his eyes open. He was tired, exhausted, sleepy, whatever you want to call it. He'd been up all day upgrading his pistol into a real weapon. Evit always thought everything needed improvement, especially his own inventions. Call him a perfectionist.

But he had gone too far this time. His head banged on the ground, and he sat back up straight. He didn't even realize he was nodding off. Evit slapped himself to keep himself awake. All he did managed to accomplish was redden his cheek and make himself yawn. This was getting out of hand.

He glanced at his unruly bed. It was looking better and better every second. He got up from his workdesk....

...and suddenly realized it was really quiet. 

Evit suddenly became alert. Why in the world was it so quiet? Ma out with friends, the only ones in the house was himself and the boys. If they were all doing nothing, it'd be really quiet ..but not all of a sudden like this...

He rushed downstairs to the main living room and walked through the entrance way. He took a step inside and froze. Dain was on the ground, completely still. His right hand was placed above his heart. His eyes were still open, staring at nothing.

Knata was a few feet away from him, staring in stark and total horror. His face was as white as a ghost, and his eyes were bulging out of his head. He stiffly turned to Evit, completely stricken.

"W...we were just fighting..." Knata gulped. "W..we're always fighting....but...but this time...he..he grabbed...his heart...and..." Knata turned back to his fallen brother. Evit stood, crying silently in the entrance way. He wondered why Knata's eyes were still dry. Maybe Knata was so shocked, he forgot how.

He walked over to the boys side and looked down at the body. Knata was gasping, but his eyes remained dry. Every inch of him was trembling. 

"Dain..." he whispered. ".....when...?...When did you become so weak...?"

**************

"After the funeral, Knata just vanished." Evit said, not showing emotion. "I've never been so angry, or so disappointed. I mean, these guys were my friends...like brothers. Everything was fine, and then...all of a sudden, one dies of a heart-attack, and the other just disappears. Just like that, I lost both of em."

Zelda frowned. "How does a young guy like that die of a _heart attack_?" she asked. 

Evit nodded. "Good question. The doctors believed he was born with a weak heart...that some infection destroyed it when he was younger, and that he was doomed from the start."

Link rested his chin in his hand. "So....was that the last time you saw him? Knata?" 

Evit sighed. "I saw him one last time...."

**************

Evit hardly recognized him. Sure, it had been 5 years since Dain died, and since he left the house, but he shouldn't have changed this much. He wore a long shawl, like a cape that circled his entire body, front and back. It was a deep black color, and it reached down to his leather covered knees. The shawl had a high collar, so it covered the bottom part of his face. Knata wore a long black tuke on his head, and tufts of dirty brown hair snuck out from underneath it. His skin seemed to have become darker, redder, and his nose seemed to have become slightly smaller. His eyes were still the exact same they were when he was younger. His eyes were how Evit was able to recognize him.

"Knata..." he started.

"Evit, I came back, I only came back to you....because you're strong. Like me. I've always admired that."

Evit sighed. "Where've ye been?"

Knata nodded. "I knew you'd ask. I've been with others like us. Others who are strong." He inched closer towards Evit. "You know the weak are doomed to a worthless death, Evit. You've seen it yourself. Hyrule is for the strong."

Evit's eyes narrowed. "And what about me Ma? Is she doomed to a worthless death? Is she weak?"

Knata looked stunned for a second. His eyes wavered, then strengthened again. "Your mother will be safe, if you're strong enough to protect her. You're almost there, Evit." He leaned forward again...

*********

Evit coughed. "Uh, well... he was talking about those called Ghanims now."

"So what did you do? I mean, what happened?" Malon asked?

Evit avoided her and everyone else's eye contact. "He asked me to join them, I refused. He left, I never saw him again."

"_He's LYING!"_ Link raged in his mind. What in the world was he hiding?

Zelda saw the look on Link's face and gently laid a hand on his arm to calm him down. She turned to the other boy. "Is that everything you want to tell us?"

Again, Evit pushed his spectacles further up the bridge of his nose, and gave Zelda an alluring smile. "Well, I was pretty upset that day, Zel. I was just about to become a Scientific Hermit again, when the doorbell rang again. I ignored it, but Ma answered. It was somebody else looking for directions...." He glanced over at Saria. "Green. As soon as I saw her, I decided that maybe Hermithood wouldn't be the best for me. She's quite a gem."

Saria blushed and laughed nervously. Link raised an eyebrow. "A gem eh? That's how I used to put it." He smiled. "Perfect Emerald."

"Geez, enough you guys!" Malon, Zelda and Nabooru laughed at the poor girls embarrassment. Saria tried quickly to change the subject. "So, Evit...you never heard of a Knata or a Ghanim again?"

The boy thought deeply. "There have been a few in Hirocco, calling themselves _Ghanims_. They wore all black and tried to push people around or bully them." Evit smirked. "They were wimps. I got rid of them quick enough. If that's what Knata meant by strong then....I'm nae sure Knata is one of these _Ghanims_ you speak of."

"He is." Link said. "He made that clear enough. Maybe these guys were newbies. In any case..."

"Ah yes! Their whereabouts!" Evit stood up and scratched the back of his head. "You know about the Giants Valley?"

Zelda nodded. The Giants Valley was an impassible expanse of non-land....a huge crater with large pillars inside of it. The crater was so deep, it was said to be bottomless.

"People say they've seen something ...strange, across the expanse. What's more, they say they saw people in black clothes walking towards the Valley. Seems to me that'd be the best place t' look." He shook his head sadly. "Ye've got to be willin' to wait a while though...since there's no way to get across."

"If the Ghanims were able to get across, there _has_ to be a way!" Zelda said. She got up and began to pace. "Evit, you don't know of any legend or anything about the Giants Valley?"

Evit smirked. "Yur talkin' about magic aren't ya, Zel?" He laughed. "Don't waste yur time. I'm workin' on a hot air balloon that'll get people across. It'll take about a week-"

"We don't have a week!" Zelda said fiercely. "Look, I don't care whether or not you believe in it or not, I'm telling you _it exists!_ Now tell me anything you know about the legends of Giants Valley!"

Evit was taken aback at the princesses affront. He quickly regained his composure though. "You silly Easterners..." he whispered. He turned and aimed his voice upstairs. "**Ma! Do ye know anythin' about Giants Valley!? Ye know, stories****!?**"

Mrs. Stal called back quickly. "**Ye know the stories about Giants Valley, don't ye boy? Remember? The Giant's Tower!?**"

Evit shrugged. "**I forgot Ma. I'm no a child anymore.**" He then turned towards Zelda. "The children's stories talk about Giant's Valley being created by the deep trenched footprints of 4 Giants." Evit brushed back a few locks of white hair. "There's a tower right at the precipice of Giant's Valley. They say it's as tall as those Giants. However, there's only one floor, and there's no way t' get to the top. I've been there, I know it's true."

"And what do you think about that?" Zelda pushed

Again, Evit shrugged. "A marvel of ancient Technology. Nothin more."

Zelda gritted her teeth. "The Goddesses have obviously blessed you with a great mind, Evit, you should respect their works a bit more." She leaned towards him. "You _do_ believe in the Goddesses, don't you?"

Evit smiled. "Zel, as a scientist, the first thing I acknowledge tis my own ignorance about the marvels of life and nature." He shrugged yet again. "Then again, Neither **Din**, **Faore** or **Nayru** have come down and patted me on the back for me good works."

Zelda growled, but Link stood and spoke before she could argue. "Whatever. You've got your beliefs, we've got ours. At least we know where to go now, and for that, we thank you Evit." Link smiled and put a hand on the others shoulder.

Evit fixed the Spectacles on his nose. "T'was no problem. Glad to be of service. Anythin' for Green here."

Saria crossed her arms in frustration. Evit laughed heartedly. "Well, if ye've really got yer heart set on going across Giants Valley, I suggest you wait until me Air Balloon is finished.." He glanced at Zelda. "Or at _least_ until tomorrow, if ye've got some fancy magical method in mind."

Zelda's eyes narrowed and she looked at him coldly. "I agree. We'll wait until tomorrow. Maybe by then I can drum some sense into that white head of yours." She walked away, holding her head high. "_Four-eyes._" she whispered.

"Later." Evit said. "_Goldilocks._" he whispered.

Link chuckled. This guy didn't seem so bad. He then thought about Giants Tower. There must be a way to get across. Now that they would be leaving tomorrow, it'd give him some time to think. He had to make a decision.

*****************

Ruto made it to Hirocco later that night. Needless to say she was happy to see Link and the others. Evit greeted her like he greeted all the girls, and she took to him quickly.

They moved camp to an Inn that was owned by a friend of Mrs. Stal. There, the horses were taken care of, and everyone could have more space in their room and bath.

It was late at night, and the town had quieted down. Link fiddled with the Master Sword, putting it in place behind his back. He was resting beneath a tree near the Inn, and was nearly lulled to sleep by the beautiful music coming from the branches near the top.

He looked up, and saw Saria, with Esea, sitting on a branch, playing on her Ocarina. Link smiled. "I thought you'd be asleep by now."

Saria looked down. "Same to you. What're you doing up?"

Link smiled. "Strategizing. I know I should leave that to you gals though. Is that what you're doing?"

Saria put on a melancholy smile. "Not really. I was just thinking about the Kokiri. They're really counting on us to stop Ganondorf's Ghanims from causing trouble."

Link frowned. Saria didn't know what Lord Deku had told them....that the Kokiri were dying off, and that if they didn't become Elven, as Saria had chosen to do, they'd simply disappear.

"Yeah. Well....I wouldn't worry about it Saria. I'm sure we'll get the job done." He closed his eyes for a while. "We might have to use that at the Giants Tower. You mind if I borrow it for the night?"

Saria thought it was a weird request ...but she heard Link play before. He did need the practice. She tossed the little instrument towards him. "Work hard." she smiled.

Link bowed in thanks, and pocketed the Ocarina. "Sweet dreams." he said quietly, and left the tree. Saria watched him leave and Esea watched him intensely. Saria then laid back, and began to whistle a lullaby.

********

He walked by the stables, where Nabooru was brushing Epona find red hair. Link walked up to her, but she seemed not to notice him.

Link coughed purpose, but Nabooru continued to brush the horse. Link coughed louder, and took a deep breath and was about to hack again.

Nabooru twirled and smacked him on the face with her brush. "Just what is your problem?" she said at the fallen elf.

Link grabbed his face, holding back tears. "I was trying to get your attention. I guessed it worked."

She shook her brush at him. "Just what do you want?" she demanded.

"I was just wondering when you were going to sleep. We've got a long day tomorrow." Link got back up to his feet, grinning.

"When I'm done here." she said, turning back to Epona. "She's been well rested. She's probably ready to go today if needed. Such a fine horse." Nabooru said, smiling slightly at the Gerudo Mare.

"I'm sure Epona appreciates that." Link walked up to the horse and patted her head gently. He glanced at the Gerudo girl. "Take care Nabooru." he said, and began to leave the stables.

"Link..." she started. He turned back quickly. Nabooru shook her head. "Just....goodnight."

Link nodded, and left. Nabooru sighed, and turned back to the horses.

**********

Ruto was napping on the shore of a deep river that ran near the Hotel, and Link decided not to wake her. She woke anyway. "Hey Cliff, what's happening?"

Link grimaced. "Sorry to wake you, babe." He said, scratching the back of his head. "I just wanted to see how you were doing."

Ruto shrugged. "Water's warm enough to put a baby to sleep. How about you?"

"Just getting ready to go to sleep." Link answered. Ruto didn't seem to believe him fully, though.

"You don't have to be nervous about tomorrow. We'll find those _Ghanim_'s and kick some serious buttage. It'll be a piece of cake."

"I think you might be underestimating them a bit..." Link said.

Ruto shook her head. "Nu, uh. That fight with you and Knata was real close, and now you have the Master Sword. We're not in any immediate danger, especially with you around." She splashed some water on him and winked. "So relax."

Link wiped his face and sighed. "I'll try." he sighed. "Night, Ruto." He dipped into the water and splashed some water on her before escaping the scene. 

**************

Malon at least seemed to be getting ready for bed. She had a white slip on, but seemed to be fixated with the hallway. She was standing outside of her and Saria's room, when Link walked by. Link waved. "What's up?"

Malon turned to him and put on a pretty face. "I was just thinking, it's been quite a trip so far, hasn't it." She looked up and down the hallway. "I'm glad, that I could have experienced all these things...with you, and the others." she added quickly.

Link nodded. "It's been a blast, to be sure." He took a step towards her. "There's nothing bothering you, is there Malon?"

Malon thought that was a bit strange. "Nothing really. I'm safe enough with you guys around me...and I've got my quarterstaff in my room."

Link smiled. "I hope you know that nothin'll happen to you with them around. You're safety is one of the reasons why I went on this trip on the first place."

She stared at him. "Link..."

"So...never worry, ok?" He shyly placed a hand on her shoulder, and moved it to her cheek. "Night, Malon." he said quietly, and walked down the hallway.

Malon watched him go. After a while, she smiled again. Things were going to get better, she had just to trust him. She always would...

***********

Link silently knocked on the door and Zelda answered. Her golden locks draped her heart-shaped face, accented her white skin and her bright blue eyes. Link thought that even wearing a plain slip she looked regal. 

"Stop staring at me, knucklehead." Zelda snapped, breaking Link from his thoughts. "What's bugging you?"

Link blinked. "I never said anything was bugging me."

"Ah." Zelda nodded. "So you're just annoying me for no reason."

Link sighed. "Why are you like that?"

"Like what?"

"I'm sure people would like you more if you were just a bit nicer. I mean, you have everything else. You've got the looks, the talent..."

"Are you trying to butter me up?" Zelda said slyly.

"It's just that...I dunno, I heard about the Zelda line. They're all supposed to be...I dunno."

Zelda stopped him there. "I'm not a Zelda from the past. I'm the Zelda of now. I'm me, and people have to deal with it." She frowned. "Do you really think I'm mean though?"

Link scratched the back of his head nervously.

Zelda nodded. "I'll work on it." She paused. "What do you think of this Evit guy? I mean, do you think he's right, are we just chumps, believing in something that can't really be proven?"

Link stared at her. "After what we've seen! Zelda, I've seen you use magic! I've seen the work the Master Sword can do. We've seen so many things....I don't see how you can doubt."

Zelda smiled. "Evit can be _very_ convincing. I talked to him at length about what I've seen, and he's had some half-baked scientific response for everything. We agreed to disagree...I don't think he wont believe it until he sees it." Zelda sighed sadly. "I think it's the way of the world. Magic might be leaving this world..."

Link shook his head. "There's other kinds of magic you know, magic that can't ever be disputed. Like..." he looked at her intently. "Like....love...I guess. The birth of a child, the coming of a family... even loss....it's all a form of magic. I'm sure Evit wouldn't dispute that." He leaned forward. "Have you noticed the way he talks about Saria?"

Zelda smiled. "I thought _you_ were the only one who didn't notice things like that."

"I notice a lot more than you think." Link said quietly. "Take care of yourself." Link turned away.

"Link?" she called. "You sure nothing's bothering you?"

Link turned back for a second. "Yup. Nothing's bothering me. not anymore." 

**************

It was deep into that night, and everyone was deep asleep. The door to Epona's stable was noiselessly opened, and Link rode her barebacked out of the town of Hirocco.

The two of them didn't stop until they where miles away, and even then, they kept going. By the time they stopped to rest, they were a considerable distance from the town. Link assumed that by the time he made it to the Tower, and had found a way across the Giants Valley, it'd be too late for them tomorrow.

Link sighed sadly, getting off of Epona's back to let her rest. It was the best thing. Of course, they'd be incensed to find out that he left them...but they were heading into dangerous territory. If any one of those Ghanims were as strong as Knata, they'd be in mortal danger.

He couldn't risk that....at least, not with them around. He could risk it alone. Like the other Link's of the Past, alone. It was how it always was.

At least, not completely alone. A sphere of light burst from Epona's mane and smacked Link in the face.

Link grabbed his nose in pain. "What the-"

"That was for thinking you can trick me! I'm not as silly as those Elven girls you know!" the fairy, Esea, said crossly.

"I....I don't-"

"Shaddap. I don't want to hear it. I'm here to help you."

Link looked at her wide-eyed. "But...why didn't you tell-"

Esea buzzed around his head, her voice tingling like a bell. "Like you, I didn't want Saria to be hurt. She's not safe with you. None of them are." She flew in front of his face and held his nose gently. "I don't mean that as a bad thing....I mean, you're working for her safety....and her safety's all I care about. So if I can help you in any way...."

Link smiled and nodded. "Fine. Welcome aboard."

"I won't protect you when the girls find out though."

He laughed. "Hey, I don't expect you to risk your life" He walked over to Epona, brushing her long neck with his hand. "You ready for a little more, pretty lady?"

Epona neighed. She wasn't tired, even after riding all night. Link smiled and hopped on her back. Esea buzzed around his head, shining brightly.

Link looked ahead to Giant's Valley with a serious look on his face, his goal never more clearly in sight.

"Let's go..."

NEXT CHAPTER:

That was a long one wasn't it. Sorry bout that folks. Next chapter, Link and Esea find a way to get across to Giant's Valley ( Which sounds like it has something to do with those Giants in Termina....) The girls find out that they've been double crossed, and they're not too happy. But Link finds a welcome party meeting him on the other side. Time to break out the Master Sword at last. Maybe the girls won't find a Link to tear apart with their bare hands? Hmm..... Later guys. And please review if you read. Seeeeeeeeeeeee ya.


	17. Evil's Bane V3.5

Evil's Bane

V 3.5

By: (o'.')o (pc_prettycool@email.com)

**Disclaimer****:**

Dum Dum Duuuuum! Luigi came to my house and forced..I mean.... _asked_ me to tell you to buy Majora's Mask. Because Majora's Mask...and all the characters in it... including Link and the Legend of Zelda franchise itself is owned by Nintendo. Get it? Good.

**Note from the Author:**

Thanks to everyone who's reviewed. I really, really appreciate it. You don't know how much I do actually.

Now, Just a warning...this will get a little bloody. Scratch that...very bloody. I guess all the action was being saved from the last 3 installments :D

A little reminder...all the characters in this story are NOT the same characters in Ocarina of Time. They are their descendants .. but they have the same name. That's all. Really. The only character who's actually the same person as their character in Ocarina of Time is our favorite old bastard, Kaepora Gaebora. Now that that's settled.....

**Amp it up! Amp it up! Action Man! Action Man! Amp it up! Amp it up! Action Man! Action Man! Amp it up Action Man. Greatest Hero of Them All! Action Man!**

**Last Chapter**:

**It seems our new friend Evil knew Knata when they were kids. Perhaps there is a reason to his madness. The fact that he's half Gerudo and that his father committed suicide when his mother left. Perhaps it was the unexplained death of his brother. Who really knows? However, they know have a good idea where to find him and the rest of the Ghanims. However, Link decided to go it alone. ****Now, with only with Esea and Epona in his corner, he heads for Giants Tower...and the way to the Ghanim...**

****

**And now, on with the tale.**

***********

By the time he had been found out, Link had created a huge gap between him and the others. Everyone was stunned and upset...and had this horrible feeling of being tricked...nearly _used_ by Link. He had even tricked Saria into giving him her Ocarina. To say they were__more than a bit upset would be a grave understatement.

Especially with Princess Zelda, who was mad enough to eat rocks. She stormed around the hotel in the morning like a tornado mixed with a volcanic eruption. The others, even Nabooru made it a point to avoid her at all costs.

All except Evit, however, who thought the whole situation was funny. An attitude that others thought was sure to get him killed. Probably by Zelda...or Nabooru, or both.

Evit didn't seem to mind, however. He fixed the spectacles on his nose and grinned. "Wow. I never thought the guy would have enough guts to anger you ladies." He laughed. "Or maybe it wasn't so much guts, as it was a lack of sense."

Zelda reared on him. "You think this is a joke, boy!?"

Evit blinked. "_Boy?_" he thought. He smiled. "Looks like yer guy Link is just lookin' out for your best interest, Zel."

Zelda fumed. "That was NOT his choice to make!" She gritted her teeth and looked around for something to break. "When I find him, I'll grind his bones and wear him around my neck!"

"_Ech._" thought Evit. "You know, you're very uptight for a....milk maid you said you were?" Evit's eyes narrowed.

"Uh...." Zelda stammered. 

Evit leaned closer, causing Nabooru to become alert. "How many milk maids do you know with such a potent electromagnetic field emanating from them?" He smiled. "I don't know of any...except those who happen to have Royal Blood....eh... Zelda?"

Zelda turned white, then looked to Nabooru for help. She only shrugged. It looks like the cat was out of the bag. She turned back to Evit. He smiled.

"This thing on my wrist does more than tell time, ye know."

"It was necessary. I didn't want to cause any trouble by walking in here as a princess." Zelda explained calmly.

"You were afraid we 'non believing yokels' would freak out if the 'magical' Princess of Hyrule stepped into our midst?"

"Dial it back a bit, now." Nabooru said quietly. "It was a necessary ruse." She then turned to Zelda and smiled. "I'm going to find him....and bring him back."

Zelda and Evit where aghast. "Nabooru...there's no way you can catch up."

Nabooru shrugged nervously. "M-maybe there _wont_ be another way across the Giant's Valley...other than waiting for Evit's balloon. If that's the case, I will catch up to him. Just wait for me."

Zelda nodded, and Nabooru left on foot. Evit turned to her and sighed. "Looks like I'd better get back to work."

*************

Link shaded his eyes with his hand as he peered up the top of the huge tower. "_Huge is an understatement_" Link thought. The tower was several stories high....in fact, from where Link was , at the entrance, he couldn't see the top of it.

From a few meters back, the tower looked like it bulbous construct at the very top. It seemed interesting. Even Esea had no info on it.

She looked down at Link now. "So, do we go in, or we should we knock on the door and wait?" she said snidely.

"Keep your stockings on." Link grumbled. He pushed at the large metal doors of the tower. They opened freely, and he stepped in.

Link gaped. The tales about this place were true. The inside was huge, but there was no way to get to the top. No stairs, no lifts, nothing at all. There wasn't even any windows around. It was pitch black as Link peered around the round room and realized that there as a mural on the wall. "Esea..." he started, "could you go up to the wall, and shed some light on those murals."

Esea huffed. "You could at least say please." Link smiled, a bit ashamed ...but Esea went to the wall and turned up her light. Link saw a portrayal of 4 immense beings. Their bodies looked like giant heads, with a huge nose and 2 beady eyes. Out of that head came 2 gigantic long legs and 2 arms. The portrait of the 4 giants circled the entire wall, and the way it was carved, they all looked to be staring up at the top of the tower.

Link scratched his head. It was weird ....he had never seen such things before...but for some reason they seemed oddly familiar ....

Esea's voice rang distant in the background of his mind....as Link was lost in thoughts that surfaced in his mind. Thoughts that did not belong to him.

********

_The little boy looked up as the giants left the center of Clock Town...the danger past at last. Tatl and her brother floated nearby....as did the unconscious body of the poor Skull kid that was drawn into this mess._

_The boy watched as they left, an beautiful display of the power of magic and nature. It was awsome to behold. The 4 giants, older than time itself, taking their slow mile-eating steps to the 4 edges of the world....all the while emitting their ancient cry...their __**Oath to Order**__. The tune rang through his mind...never to be forgotten again._

_****__..__**v**__..__**a**__..__**v**__..__****__..__**^**_

***************

The thousand year old memories blasted through Link's mind, shocking him back to reality. He held his head in pain and fell to his knees.

Esea flew quickly to his side. "Hey, you ok?" she asked. Link nodded and slowly rose to his feet. He pulled out Saria's Ocarina and put it to his lips. He had never played a note before in his life...but he knew how to play this.

****..**v**..**a**..**v**..****..**^**

Esea rang around his ears. "Just what are you doing? You think we have any time for that?" Link ignored her and replayed the tune again. When he finished, he looked at the mural again. 

"_Come on_....." he thought fiercely.

The ground beneath him shook violently and the tower seemed to come apart at the seams. Esea flew around frantically as Link struggled to keep his balance and dodge the falling debris.

"What did you do!?!?" Esea cried, before she barely dodged a large brick that came from the top of the tower.

"Let's go!" Link shouted. The fairy followed and they escaped the death-trap that the tower had become.

Link looked up once he was outside. The bulbous top of the tower started to shift and distort in place. Cracks began to line it's surface. It almost seemed like something inside was...struggling.

Esea gasped and flew to Link's side. "It's gonna come apart!" She yelled. "Run!" 

Link leaped out of the way as the bulb at the top of exploded and rained rocks and debris on top of him.

**************

Dust and dirt blew around Link's eyes. He wiped at them and got to his feet. He waved the dust away and got to his feet. Esea zipped behind him, shaking nervously.

"What's wrong, Esea?" Link coughed. "You hurt...or something...wro..." his eyes focused on the object in front of him.

It looked and seemed to be a large mechanical dragon. It was heavenly armored in thin white plates that covered its sinewy body. It was 4 legged, with long arms and legs that seemed exactly the same as each other, and ended in three large toes. It's 4 wings were bird like in design, with many metal plated feathers. At the end of it's long neck was a wedge-shaped head were two narrowed blazing red eyes.

Link realized what Esea was so frightened at. Steam was pouring out of the joints and many holes peppered over the beast. It didn't move, it didn't seem to even breathe. Link peered up the tower. It was still intact, but the bulb at the top was gone.

He now realized it was no bulb...but an egg. Something to hold the beast until awoken by the **Oath to Order**.

"W-w-w-what....do you think it is?" Esea stammered nervously. Link watched the dragon for any movements...but couldn't detect any.

"What did Evit say....'marvel of ancient technology'?" Link muttered. He took a step forward. "Maybe it's just a machine. It certainly doesn't _seem_ real...."

"Are you crazy!" Esea screamed as Link continued to approach the creature. "Don't go near it. Besides...it looks hot!"

Link would learn later to listen to the fairies warnings. He touched the white plate of the dragon's hide, and cried as his hand was burned. He whipped it away and blew on it, dancing and hopping all around the place.

The dragon's head rose and watched as Link tended to his hand. Esea laughed an 'I told you so'. Link brushed some tears from his eyes and examined his hand. It wasn't too bad. 

He glanced over at Epona and marvelled at her calmness. She didn't panic, like other animals would at the sight of the monstrosity. Once Link was ready to take the Dragon across the expanse, he'd have to bid her a fond farewell.

Link looked back at the dragon. "Seems obedient enough...and I should be able to communicate with it with the Ocarina."

Esea marvelled. "Geez. How'd you know!?" Link realized she was talking to him and scratched the behind of his head.

"I uh... remembered it....from a looooong time ago." he sighed. Esea understood. Another gift from a Link of the Past. Link blew on his hand and knelt in front of the dragon. "So....what should we name him?"

"What!?" Esea murmured. "Name it? Why? 'Sides, you don't even know if it's alive...you don't even know if it's a 'he' or not."

"Doesn't matter. I'll treat it as if it's alive. Besides, it's gonna help me, so it deserves my respect." Link smiled.

Esea put a finger to her lips. "Well....I guess. So what will you name it?"

Link thought for a moment. "How about.....'Dragon'!"

Esea blinked.

Epona blinked.

Dragon blinked.

Link looked at all of them. "What?"

Esea sighed. At least he didn't decide to call it, 'Dagona'.

*************

Malon sat alone next to Destiny in the stables. Tears formed around her eyes, and she quickly wiped them away.

"_Everything he said...it was all just so he could ditch me...._" she lamented. "_Everything...._" she sniffed and hugged herself fiercely. Maybe Ingo was right, maybe she should have stayed at the Ranch. She should probably quit trying to get through to him. It was obvious after what Link did that he didn't care. Maybe he never did.

Malon looked up as Saria slowly walked into the stables. She sat next to her and draped her arms around Malon's shoulders.

"You know...I don't think it was personal what he did." Saria told her. "He probably thought he was doing it a favor. He always talked about getting rid of us."

Malon sniffed. "I'll kill him." she mumbled. "Who the hell is he to tell us where we can go, or if we can help?" she sighed angrily. "Just wait till I get my hands on him..."

Saria brightened and hugged Malon closer. "It might be sooner than you think." she suggested. "Evit said that if we all get our 'elbows greased' , he'll be done in only a few days. I think he means he wants us to help."

Malon turned to her, then she laughed. "Allright, You carry the nails, I'll grab the hammer." With that, the girls got up and left the stables.

**************

Esea was tucked inside Link's tuke as they rode fast over the great expanse of the Dragon Valley. Link laughed and placed a hand over the Tuke to keep it from flying off. They were flying at an incredibly fast speed. Obviously, Esea was not used to this speed, nor this height. She vocalized it clearly enough.

When they finally landed half an hour later, the little fairy was relieved. Link was just amazed. At that speed, it'd take something like a horse about an hour or two to get over the same distance. He patted Dragon warmly on the neck and smiled. "Thanks a lot kid." he told it. The huge metal beast lowered it's head and blinked once.

"Ugh. What a monster." Esea grumbled. Then she saw the look on Link's face and glanced back at it. "Sorry. Thanks Dragon."

When they turned around, the saw a strange black cloud miles away and high in the air. Link squinted his eyes and looked carefully.

"Esea...." he wondered, "does that cloud look like a building to you..?"

***************

The demon known as Knataghanim watched the screen in the base carefully. The dark spirit of the Master flowed through him, giving him extra-sensory vision and power. He saw the boy now as he dismounted the White Dragon.

"_Amazing_" he thought to himself. "_This boy seems unstoppable. Such __determination __....such____**strength**__. If only he'd realize the darkness in all of us. If only he'd let it free....let himself free...._"

The answer came to him quickly, and he grinned underneath his high dark collar. He called the other neo-_ghanims _to the War Room. Time to see if they were strong enough to become full ghanims...or at least, give their lives for the cause.

And it was time to see the darkness released from this kid named Link...

***************

Link sat at the edge of the mysterious plain that was before him. On his side was a normal lush green grass...and only a few inches away the ground became lifeless and dusty. It was over this ground that the huge mass in the air floated noiselessly only a few miles before him.

"What do you make of that?" the boy asked Esea. She sat on his head, peering into the distance. She could see farther than Link could...so she acted as his scout.

"Whaddya make of what?" Esea mumbled. Suddenly she gaped and rang next to Link's ear. "Oh Lord Deku....we have trouble Link."

Link bounded to his feet and watched in horror as the field seemed to fill with dark warriors. They were all elven, armed with all sorts of sharp weapons. They wore black clothing and a black cloth covered the bottom of their faces. 

"Ghanims?" Esea whimpered. She huddled close to Link's ear, ready to duck inside his Tuke if need be.

"Maybe...." Link said. His eyes narrowed and he moved his hand to his back, where the handle of the Master Sword was. He could feel it now, squirming and struggling, as if trying to release itself from it's sheathe.

The warriors came closer...a full fist of 20 in all. Link shared the Master Sword's rage. He wouldn't be stopped now. He wouldn't let these criminals lay a hand on his friends. 

The Master Sword roared in its sheath. It rattled against his back as the shoulders came closer and closer. He could hear their shouts and cries for his death. They were only a few feet away now...

"LINK!!!!" Esea screamed.

He grabbed the handle and whipped the Master Sword out. It was free. Link's eyes instantly went from a normal brown to a steel grey.

He slammed down hisfoot, causing a massive rupture in the ground, and roared. Eyes bulging, and mentally aimed at the middle of the fist of warriors heading towards him. 

The spell **Din's Fire** was invoked. A blast of super hot air careened towards the warriors and hit them full on. Screams filled the air as half of the approaching army was obliterated in that second throwing burned and boiled bodies into the air.

Esea screamed again and hovered over Link's head as he fell to his knees, the spell taking a lot of strength from him. He looked up angrily as the remaining soldiers came towards him.

Link flew to his feet and bounded to the group of 5 on his right. He stepped lightly, jumping a few inches in the air, and brought the Master Sword down across the face of one of the attackers. He wailed and fell to the ground as The Master Sword drank his blood. He continued to wail as Link whipped by him and across to the soldier next to him. He brought the Master Sword down on him in an overhead swing. The warrior blocked it and struggled against Link's pressure. The other warriors around him ran to his aid. One slashed at Link, who moved to the side and took a deep cut against his ribs.

The boy gasped in pain and slammed his foot down again. He roared, and a terrific gale of wind blasted from his center. The spell **Faore's Wind** was invoked, and a dense cloud of dust covered the battlefield. The warriors were stunned, and stopped their attack for a second. They couldn't find Link, and Link couldn't find them....

..but the Master Sword could.

Link flipped the blade around and crushed it through the chest of the first man he had wounded. Drawing the blade out he quickly ran through the rest of the men. A man ran towards him, sword drawn. Link attacked with his left hand, clamping it hard over his mouth as he drove the Master Sword through his chest. 

Turning from him, Link leapt again and brought the blade across the throat of another. Before he hit the ground, Link turned and took two steps at a man with a huge broadsword before he attacked.

The man blocked it and struggled against the boy. Link dropped to his knees and hacked down the mans knees. The warrior wailed as he fell to the ground. Link wanted to put him out of his misery, but another man with a small sword attacked. Link took the attack in his left shoulder, then whipped around and took the mans head off in a single swipe. Blood was sprayed over the dusty ground. Link pulled the small sword from his shoulder and turned to to the man he had maimed only moments before. He lowered the tip of the Master Sword into his heart. 

The sword drank greedily. It wanted more.

The dust was still in the air as Link ran towards the remaining five. They were shocked at the carnage the young boy had caused in only a few seconds, but met his attack head on. Link brought the Master Sword to his side, and whipped it across the blade of the first man he encountered. The unbreakable blade of the Master Sword smashed the other blade in half. It flipped through the air and the owner stared after it helplessly before Link nearly dissected him with a slash to the midsection. 

Link caught the broken blade that had flipped in the air and immediately flung it at full speed at a rushing attacker, nailing him square in the face and dropping him instantly. 

One warrior held his sword loosely in his hand as he watched the carnage unfold in front of him. Link ignored him and leapt out of the way of a mighty blow by a Battle Axe wielding warrior, that destroyed the ground where he had been standing. 

The warrior raised his weapon again, and Link leapt forward, reversing his blade cutting side up and driving it into his shoulder. Link grunted as he turned and drove the sword out the shoulder of the man, through bone and muscle. Blood sprayed freely as the arm was severed. The Master Sword drank.

But it was still thirsty.

There was only one soldier left. He stared ahead in stunned silence, unable to see the killer boy in front of him. Link walked slowly behind him, his eyes steel and lidded.

It will destroy all evil.

It will destroy them utterly.

He walked up behind the warrior....a young boy like himself...probably just a wannabe, probably just wanted to be a big-shot in front of his friends. Link tried to imagine what was going through his mind now. If he could only let go...if he could only let him live...but he couldn't.

It will destroy them utterly.

Link put a bloody gloved hand across the boys mouth from behind him, and drove the Master Sword through his back and his heart. The young warrior stiffened, fell to the ground when Link released him.

In a matter of minutes, it was over. The blood and ichor of 10 men was draped over Link's body, and the ashes of the other 10 wafted through the air. Link just stood as the cloud of dust settled back to the earth. Tears began to form in his brown eyes. Slowly, he sank to his knees.

Esea came down from her position in the air. She saw everything, and was on the verge of a breakdown herself. It was the most horrible act of violence she had ever seen in her long life. But the bodies of the men on the ground weren't the only victims.

She flew to his face and pushed against his cheek and hugged him. "Link?" she called. Link continued to stare at the bodies. His hand gripped the Master Sword until his knuckles were white. Slowly, he brought the blade of the Master Sword slowly to his neck, and put a hand on the other side of the blade, pushing slightly.

"What am I doing?" he whispered. "Nothing could justify....". Tears were streaming down his face. The hands on the Master Sword ere trembling. Esea remembered that this was still just a 14 year old boy. Maybe the toll of the fighting and the circumstances he had been thrown into was finally taking it's toll.

"Link...this wasn't your fault." Esea soothed. "Please...Link. This wasn't your fault. You had no choice, they attacked you. Please, put the Sword away." But Link didn't pay heed. The smell of the blood belonging to the men he had slaughtered filled his nostrils, and invaded his mind. He couldn't let go of the Sword. He could feel the pulse of his own blood beating through the vein in his neck. All he had to do was sever it....

It would be so...easy...besides....it wanted to drink....from _all _evil.

Maybe it wasn't finished drinking....

The old man had warned him. Warned princess Zelda....

_He isn't worthy. He is not pure.__ He's not like the past ones. Though this one also contains Courage, he contains something else. Something that makes him no different than those he will undoubtedly hunt. He's a killer. He might turn on you..._

_*Kid Name Link v1.4_

"He warned me" Link cried. "I should have listened. It's too late now..." His fingers fluttered on the back of the blade, and began to draw.

Esea flew in front of his eyes. "Link!" she called. He tentatively brought his eyes up and looked at the fairy, and she blasted him with the light of a small super Nova. Link's eyes went white and he brought his hands to his eyes, dropping the Master Sword. Link screamed in terrific pain.

"ESEA!" he wailed. Light burst inside of his eyelid, and he gritted his teeth in pain. Esea grimaced.

"I'm so sorry. It's ok, it'll be fine." 

Link opened his eyes, and he saw nothing. "You....you've blinded me." he whispered. He could no longer see the carnage he had caused...but the smell of the blood.....

"It's ok...I'll fade. I promise. I've done it before." She flew to his hand and with hesitation, led him to the handle of the Master Sword. "Come on...put it away, and we'll get outta here. We'll find a place to rest."

Link nodded and slowly resheathed the Sword, immediately silencing it's presence. Esea then led Link by the hand through the valley, heading for a place to camp for the night.

"It wasn't your fault Link." she whispered. "The Master Sword, there's something wrong with it. It shouldn't be acting this way. We'll find out why...so don't worry." 

The blood-soaked boy followed the heat of the fairy silently. Link had already figured out a way to fix the problem with the Master Sword**.**

He simply would never use it again.

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

**Has Link lost faith**** in the Master Sword? What's causing it's mysterious and unbridled thirst for the blood of evil? I mean, I know it's Evil's Bane...but that's just nuts!? And will the others catch up with him before he goes mano-a-mano against Knataghanim? Will Link be mentally ready? Things begin to heat up as Evil's Bane begins it's final half. Stay with me folks! Thanks for reading and please review. Later :D (o'.')o**


	18. Evil's Bane V3.6

****

Evil's Bane

V 3.6

By (o'.')o ( pc_prettycool@email.com )

****

Disclaimer:

__

Ahhhh. Why do I keep writing these? It's painful. Must….keep….thinking. I know! If you don't believe me when I say that The Legend of Zelda is property of Nintendo, then all your young kids, or sisters or brothers or cousins will play Conker's Bad Fur Day and become Morally corrupted!!! A ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Hu..?

****

Note from the Author:

Needless to say, I've been away…for a very very long time. I'm sure everyone's lost interest in the story. I'm sorry. I've been busy, but I still should have been working on it. Hopefully, this installment will persuade you peeps to forgive me. 

I also promise that the next one after this will come in very soon afterwards (I hope). It's almost finished folks.

Well… that being said, on with the tale.

****

Last Chapter:

****

The battle was joined. It was the young Link (who had crossed the Giants Valley via a strange metal Dragon named…..uh…well..Dragon. ) against a fist of Neo-Ghanims. Surely not a fair battle, but the Master Sword was sure to work in the elf's favor. However, the true intention of the Sword was known as soon as it was released from it's scabbard, and before long, Link found himself in the middle of a horrific scene of violence and blood, created by his own doing. Mortified, Link stopped all rational thought, and put the Sword to his own throat to drink again, but he was saved from himself from his temporary fairy, Esea. Now, as Link moves forward towards the _Ghanim_ base, the task is to destroy Knatagahnim, without unleashing the Sword of Evil's Bane.

************

The land was parched and dry, cracked and broken. Each step Link took seemed to split the earth into a million pieces, so much that he thought he'd be swept under. A few times, he did fall or stumble. Each time he did, it took him a little longer to get back to his feet.

Link was exhausted. He had not stopped to rest once his vision had come back. Though it might be thought that rest wasn't on his mind, in truth, rest was the _only_ thing on his mind. Link wanted only to destroy Knatagahnim, finish his task, and rest forever.

So he had started his grim march towards what he felt was Knata's direction, not knowing if he would find another group of troops, and not caring either. He marched for miles, without stopping for rest or food, despite Esea's protestations. Several times she screamed at him in his sensitive elven ears, blinded his eyes, anything to get him to stop. 

It was painful, but not worth stopping for.

In fact, Link had only stopped once throughout the march, and that was to bind the Master Sword to its sheath with a strand of leather linen from his tunic.

Esea was afraid Link was going mad. She tried anything, _everything_ to get him to listen to reason. "What if you have to fight a bunch of soldiers again!?" She pleaded. "You'll need the Master Sword."

"No." he said. "I won't."

"Wh-What about when you face down with that _Ghanim_!" Esea cried. "He'll chop you into pieces! You'll need the Master Sword to defeat him!"

Link shook his head, never stopping with his march. "I'll…beat him. Ever since I touched the…._it,_ I've been able to use the spells…." He was referring to the three Battle Spells of the Goddesses. Link was able to use **Faeores' Wind** and **Dins' Fire**, but not the healing spell**Nayrus' Love**. That confused him, just a little bit.

Esea flew around and faced him angrily. "And what makes melting him into a puddle or blasting him to ashes better than using the Master Sword!?", she asked with a sting.

Link blinked. "_Was she right?_", he thought, "_No!_" 

"Well?"

"You're twisting things!" Link said through grated teeth. "You're trying to confuse me!" He shuddered weakly, then continued. "As long as I haven't used the Sword, I won't have committed any crimes."

The fairy gaped, sputtering a moment before she regained composure. "Crimes? You haven't committed any crimes!" She tried to get closer, but the lad brushed her away with an angry wave of his hand. "Why would you have needed the Master Sword if it was a crime to use it!?"

"Access…." Link gasped. "To…..the spells…" His mouth was so dry, it was becoming painful to breathe. But he couldn't stop, he needed to kill the _Ghanim_ . Then he could rest….

"Link, you won't be able to do anything without it. He'll strike you down before you can blink."

Link shrugged. Either way, he'd get to rest. "Esea….I don't want….. what happened back _-cough cough-_ there…. to happen again." The smell of the slaughter still wafted around him. Blood and ashes permeated into his tunic and leather shorts. It was a constant reminder of what would happen if the Sword was unleashed once more.

"Ah, you stupid Elf! What did you think you were going to do? Negotiate!? Talk them out of chopping off your head and presenting it to that _Ghanim_ on a silver platter? They were dead as soon as they made the decision to attack you!" Esea huffed. She hoped the logic of the situation would finally dawn on him, and she wished she were larger…large enough to just tie him down and force water into his throat. She felt so helpless it was depressing.

He didn't respond, and just kept on marching. He looked straight ahead, his eyes heavily lidded. Soon, he would find his prey, and then he'll rest. Rest.

"F-forget it…..Ese….Ese…" the elf grumbled. He blinked tiredly, and a strange wave began to take his body. 

Link barely heard Esea gasp, before his tired eyes drifted shut, and he was aware of nothing.

*************

Workmen and neo-Ghanims practically flung themselves out of the way, as Knata briskly walked down the corridor of the grotesque base, towards the heart of the creature.

He marveled at the power of the Master, to be able to create a vessel from pure will, even from as far away as the Master was. The creature was long dead; indeed, it never was alive to begin with. Still, black blood pumped and oozed from large veins that laced the infrastructure. The creature would soon be strong enough to take off from the ground, and towards its hated target.

Knata smiled to himself. That would be a sweet hour indeed. Still, travel wasn't the only purpose the ship served.

The young demon waved his hand, and a section of the wall oozed away. He walked into a room that was pitch-black, except for the pulsing red glow that emanated from a twisted mound of flesh. 

"_Its' heart_." Knata grumbled in his mind, "_and the portal to which the Master will return….but…._" He grimaced and slammed his hand down on a nearby control panel. The impact shattered the instrument, sending sparks and black blood across a short way, and scaring the hell out of a Scientist that was working nearby.

The Ghanim turned and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Why doesn't it work?" Knata growled menacingly. "Why is the Master not here?"

The woman gasped in pain. Knata's grip was strong enough to crush rocks. "We-Well…I….", the scientist, a neo-Ghanim herself, stammered. She wanted to relay the news in the best way that would not result in her own head resting upon a spit. "The device is ready, but it won't work. We-We're missing something, something strong enough to draw him out." She gulped.

Knata growled and released her. "_Weakling _" he thought viscously. "_Why do I even keep her alive? Still, she said 'something to draw him out…_" He turned to her and smiled, causing the girl to cringe. A smile from a young boy, but a hideous smile nonetheless.

"Like the Hero…." He said. The smile evolved into a hideous, full-toothed grin. 

The scientist blinked. For a second, she thought Knataghanim had become some sort of Demon Pig. "_Truly this boy does have the Master's power flowing through him…_." She thought in fright. 

Knata glanced at her and lost his smile. He grunted and stormed out of the room. He knew that there was nothing he could do, except wait for the boy to come to him.

The young Ghanim made his way to the base of the creature's skull, the bridge, and waited for Link to arrive.

*************

The moon had replaced the sun in the clear sky when Link regained consciousness. He smacked his lips and winced as he tried to get up on his shoulders. There was a fire burning, somewhere. The side of his face was strangely warm.

He wondered if he were catching some kind of fever because it was feeling a bit chilly and drafty. Link figured he shouldn't feel like that since he had clothes on.

And of course, he didn't. Links eyes widened as he realized he was wearing nothing but his smallclothes. Even after that realization, the boy still couldn't fathom what in the world had happened. Surely Esea wasn't strong enough to….

Link glanced over at the fire, and gaped in horror. There, cooking a thin lizard over the flame, was that red-haired little warrior that Link was positive he left behind…where NO one should have been able to follow.

Nabooru glanced over at him briefly, then returned her attention to the lizard. "The idiot wakes." She murmured. "You know, we've got to stop meeting like this."

Link continued to gape and his eyes widened. He blasted the cobwebs from his mind and stared…thinking of how this was possible. Link had had to destroy the Giants Tower and use Dragon to get across the Valley. How in the world….

"I should kill you, " Nabooru growled silently, "I really should, for what you did to Zelda and the others." She turned to him and glared with him with such vehemence it was palpable "You treated them like dirt. It was callous. It was dishonorable!"

"Go back." Link said quietly. "I don't care how you got here, just get the hell out of here."

"You think you can talk to me like that?" Nabooru said, narrowing her eyes. "I guess I've been thinking too highly off you."

"Think what you want! Just go!" Link yelled. "I don't want you here, understand? Go or you're dead!!"

Nabooru kept her composure, roasting the gecko evenly. "You can't bully me, Link." She sighed and turned to face him. "Esea told me everything. If you ask me, I think you're being babyish. You couldn't have done anything less than defend yourself." When the boy shook his head angrily, Nabooru rushed on. I'd have done the same in your shoes, so what does that make me?"

Link looked at them, the Gerudo girl and the fairy that was hovering near. "_What does Esea think she saw?_" Link wondered sadly. He wondered if Esea had seen the one kid, the kid who was so terrified, he didn't even lift his sword. He wondered if she saw as the boy had not attacked him, had only wanted to run after watching how Link had dismembered the rest of the troops.

Link wondered if Esea saw how he murdered the boy without a second thought. The visions caused him to press a hand to his head. He wished he could tell them…. but what would they think of him if he did?

Nabooru was looking at Link's side, where the Master Sword was strapped to his back. It was still bound tightly to its sheath.

"That was stupid." She said simply. "I wanted to undo that, but every time I got near that thing…I had this…huge feeling of dread…" Nabooru sighed. "Maybe there is something wrong with it, but that doesn't mean-"

"I'm giving you plenty of chances, Nabooru." Link said quietly. "Go back. We'll all meet together when I return."

"_Return_." Nabooru said mockingly. "With your main weapon tied to your back? How do you intend to kill your enemy, with your good looks?"

Link's jaw stayed firm as he spoke. "Do you know why I deceived you - all of you?" he spoke evenly. "I did it because, as much pain I received when I did it, it would be nothing compared to the pain I'd feel if you or the others died because you joined me on this…this _stupid _quest!". He was trembling. He wondered if it was because of the cold. "Nabooru, this isn't a game. You might die if you stay."

Nabooru laughed. "I can take care of myself." She reached over to her side and felt the cloths that lay there. She then took them and tossed them to the elf. "Your clothes. Don't think I'm going to be making that a habit." The Gerudo smiled. "I am not a domestic woman."

Link put them on quickly. They were nice and clean; free of the blood that had fouled them earlier. They felt good against his skin. Still.. "Nabooru, you can't help here. Please….I don't want to beg…"

"Don't. Not on my account. Besides, begging wouldn't send me away." Nabooru answered. She took a small knife from her waist and began to cut up the meat for the meal. She then offered him a slice.

Link wished he could have taken it. Instead he got to his feet. "I will try…" he started, voice shaking. "I will try to protect you. I will, but if you die, I'll know I tried my best." He started walking away from the small camp. "I won't cry for you if you die. Nabooru, I tried." 

Nabooru watched him saunter away, confident enough that she could catch up to him later. "_That's so funny._" She thought to herself. "_The way you're acting, you'll be the one who needs protecting._" 

She sighed and started to eat, watching the other slowly build the distance between them, in more ways than one. "_Link. What's happening to you?_"

*************

He had to admit the forced rest had really helped him. The sun was starting to creep over to horizon as Link continued his solemn march towards where he felt, where he _knew_ Knataghanim was. 

The boy stopped for a second and fought the overwhelming urge to look behind him, to see if Nabooru and Esea were following. He sighed sadly, dropping his shoulders as if in defeat. "_I guess that was harsh._" He thought with a bit of melancholy. "_If anyone can help me, Nabooru can. She did defeat Knataghanim the first time, not me._"

He started drudging along again. "_Maybe she's right. Maybe she's tought too highly of me._" His eyes suddenly brightened. "_Hey! Maybe I pissed her off enough to leave! If I've lost her as a friend, at least she'll still be alive._" Shrugging, he continued onward.

He took a step, and the ground rumbled. Link moved quickly to regain his balance, as the ground suddenly came to a still. The elf looked around in confusion. Another step forward and the ground shook again, a little more violently.

"_What's going on?_" He pondered, looking up into the sky again. Several yards away, a grotesque creature was resting in the clouds, defying gravity. It was huge, the size of Lord Jabu-Jabu. It reminded Link of a giant fish, except that it had no eyes, and four misshapen fins. Its gigantic maw was wide open in a twisted scream, teeth and jaw seemingly misplaced, as if it's body had twisted and frozen in death.

"_It's dead._" Link realized. Yet, it still floated. It was moving, and that was causing the small tremors in the earth. Link saw that it was coming towards him.

Link scowled harshly. "_Could that be the Ghanim's base?_". Without any thought, he whipped out the Ocarina.

Nabooru and Esea were catching up to him, when they too noticed the monstrous form in the sky. "Link, what is that!?" The Gerudo girl shouted.

The ground was shaking severely as the base moved faster towards the green-clothed elf. He ignored her and played the **Oath to Order **on the Ocarina.

A light blinked near the base's mouth, and the ground exploded only a few meters away from the boy. He was thrown back by the impact; dry earth and rock spraying over him.

Nabooru gasped, as he slammed hard against the ground. "Link!" she called, and started towards him.

Link got to his feet quickly , pulled the Ocarina closer to his chest, and roared, "DRAGON!" 

Apparently, he didn't have to call twice. The large armored form of Dragon appeared immediately above him. It blasted all 4 of its huge wings, before settling quickly by Links side.

Nabooru skidded to a halt as soon as she beheld the wonder. "By the Goddesses….." she whispered.

Esea buzzed angrily around her head. "It's like I told you! Geez, you kids never listen to me!"

Link climbed on Dragon's back quickly and pointed towards the base. Nabooru yelled and sprinted after him. She was a few steps away before Dragon flapped its wings in a gale, and took to the sky.

She halted again and looked at him with dismay. "_He needs the Master Sword, or he'll get himself killed._ She clutched her knees, gasping as her long ponytail fell down the side of her face. "_What do I do?_" 

*************

Knata watched all this happen from the ship. He wasn't surprised. He pondered the Dragon carefully, fully assessing the possibility of a threat. He didn't even notice the Gerudo girl that standing sadly far below.

He decided that the threat was negligible. Taking up his Swallow from its perch, Knata waved his hand opening a fleshy wound that exited the creature. 

The young demon was smiling as he fell through.

**************

Link was gaining more and more ground, and was only a few feet away from the mouth of the creature when something exploded from it's temple and blazed in the sky.

Stunned, he reared Dragon about and chased the blazing red light. The flames that had engulfed the figure withered away with a 'woosh', revealing the dark form of the young elf known as Knataghanim.

He smiled towards Link and the Dragon. "Hero. Ah, I spread Greetings to your little pet. You've done vey well to get here." The young demon pursed his lips and regarded Link carefully. "My compliments on how you dispatched my men so easily. Their blood looked good on you."

Link ignored the rebuke, and was instead surprised, to say the least. "_He can fly too?_" He wondered if Knataghanim was more than just the powerful leader of a Ganon-worshipping cult. He remembered how Malon, Talon and Ingo had described him as looking like some sort of Demon-pig, but Link never saw it. "_He's just a punk to me,_" He raged in his mind, "_and I'm going to kill him._"

Knata floated quietly, minutes running by him as he just stared the other down. Then, in a flash, he was on him. The Ghanim covered several meters in seconds as he rushed towards Link, bringing the Swallow down…

Link was ready. The veins in his neck tensed and bulged and his eyes widened as he invoked the spell of Din's Fire. A flood of white-hot air cumulated briefly, before careening towards the Ghanim at full speed.

Knata had only a second to curse before he was rocked by the power of the spell.

*************

Nabooru watched the explosion in the sky, and the subsequent shockwave that followed, as it caused her hair to billow for a good ten seconds. She brushed the dust away from her eyes and looked up. The debris cloud was still falling, but she could see no sign of the young demon.

She smiled widely. Esea let out a little squeal and clapped her hands fretfully. "That little S.O.B, he did it!" She bobbed up and down. "I knew he could do it. Finally! Maybe we can all go-"

Nabooru put her hand up to silence the fairy. Link was rushing away quickly on Dragon, and for good reason.

Knataghanim wasn't dead yet. 

************

He was alive, but injured. It took all of his strength not to get disintegrated by the force of that spell. Needless to say, he was hurting badly. His dark clothes were tattered, boils and blisters were painfully bursting on his skin. He needed to get back to the base; he needed to recuperate.

But he needed to do something else even more. He needed to hurt the elf, badly. Link had rushed away as soon as he realized that Knata still stood. The Ghanim roared and gave chase.

*************

Link needed to rest, even if it was just for a moment. He sped Dragon away, quickly around the base and brushing against the ground, anyway he could to get Knata tired or unbalanced. Link needed time to recuperate for another spell.

Dragon was extremely agile, and it pulled off high-speed maneuvers that Link thought were totally insane. Still, he wasn't able to shake off the Ghanim so easily. 

Link turned to see the blood-red eyes of the demon. He was enraged. 

Dragon spun around 360 degrees in the air and smashed Knata down with one of its armor-plated wings. The Ghanim hit the ground on his hands and his feet, and leapt back into the air again.

Link turned around, ready to have Dragon attack again. He needed only a few more moments. Knata sped at him with a murderous glare, intending to crash into the metal beast.

Dragon flipped around again, and Knata flew harmlessly past. Link urged him into the higher into the air until he was a good 40 feet off the ground. He turned to look for the _Ghanim_ . He had vanished again. 

Frantic, Link searched left and right and above. He glanced down and saw the demon coming at him at such a furious speed, there was no time for Dragon to move.

Link reached behind him and grasped the handle of the Master Sword. Immediately he felt the fury and craving of evil blood the sword wanted flood over him. He pulled to release it… 

…and the sword did not budge. When Link realized what he had done, that's when Knata_ghanim_ attacked, charging shoulder first into the chest of the dragon. 

A huge shockwave of air and sound blasted from the center of the impact, and Dragon was thrown away. The metal creature twisted and flapped in vain before it slammed into the ground.

Link didn't go with him. He and Dragon had been resting perfectly still in the air when the attack came, and when it did, it only affected Dragon. Link was left 30 feet in the air, and he plummeted.

************

Knataghanim held his right shoulder. It was shattered down to the core, but he laughed anyway. There would be no more fighting.

He had wanted Link alive. He had wanted to know how the Hero would affect the Masters return into the world of Elves. Now he didn't care. Now, all Knata wanted was to see Link dead. His laughter intensified. He wouldn't even have to lift another finger to do it.

The ground would do the work for him. 

************

Nabooru watched as Link plummeted to the earth.

Her mind was racing. It seemed so unbelievable to her, that this could be happening. She had prepared herself for anything, but now that it's happened, she felt…..afraid.

She looked to her left. Dragon lay there, steam pouring out of flaps in its armored skin. She wondered if it was dead. She wished it wasn't. She wished she could use it.

It was a nightmare. Nabooru cringed inwardly. There were no more options.

Link was going to die.

She would anger many of her people by doing this, especially Mother, but she had no choice. She couldn't let him die. She couldn't, not at any cost.

Nabooru clasped her hands together, and released the Gerudo's Keepsake.

************

A brilliant light flooded Link's vision, so bright and intense, he thought he had hit the ground sooner that anticipated.

He felt so stupid. Link had honestly thought he could've continued without unleashing the Master Sword. He thought his magic was enough. It almost was.

"_But almost doesn't cut it_." he thought to himself. "_Now that freak is going to hurt the girls and the guys at the farm….everyone, because I felt sorry for myself. I should have been willing to become the Beast himself to protect them._" He sighed. "_I'm an idiot. I'm sorry._"

When the light finally diminished, Link realized his falling had slowed. He blinked rapidly and looked around him. What he saw shocked him to the core.

Nabooru was holding him, and she had grown….something, from her back. They looked like wings, but they shimmered wrongly….some of the feathers seemed, strange.

The vision cleared for him, and he saw what was holding them up. They weren't wings. They were Gerudo. Twenty, thirty of the ephemeral female warriors, gathering around Nabooru's back, by the nape of her neck, slowing down their decent. 

"Wh….What, what is this?" Link breathed. Were they angels of some sort? Why had they come now? What was happening? Link looked at them closely, realizing they all bared some resemblance to the girl that was holding him in the sky. "Descendants?" he wondered aloud.

As soon as he said the word, he realized what this was. It made sense to him now, his rapport with the Links of the past, his own heritage, what was happening here today. He peered into Nabooru's eyes. She knew now that he understood.

She smiled softly and she held on to the boy for dear life. "The things I do for you." 

***************

Knata watched in wonder. The girl seemed to explode with light, and then she was in the air, faster than even he could travel. She looked like she was holding onto the air with huge diaphanous wings, but they seemed…..wrong somehow.

When his vision cleared, he saw them. Gerudo wenches. Long dead, but still alive enough to hold the girl in the air as she descended with the Hero to the earth.

Knata growled and prepared to rush them both, when his mind clicked. Gerudo, the ghosts, spirits drawn into this world. He understood completely. It was so sudden, he let out a genuine laugh before he knew it. The answer was his. There was no need for the Hero, it was now just a matter of time.

The _Ghanim_ let out a victorious howl and prepared to head back to base, when he glanced again at the two descending to the ground.

That girl, he realized, hurt him before. Hurt him badly. He grasped his chest, where the pain of the arrow piercing his heart still throbbed. Knata licked his lips and started forward.

He wanted Link. He wanted the Gerudo bitch. Knata would have them both.

************

They were only 20 feet from the ground when a shiver overtook Link's spine. He fought to look away from Nabooru's smile, and when he turned and saw death coming at him at full force.

The _Ghanim_ whipped around his Swallow with expertise, and brought it down. Link tugged again at the Master Sword at his back before he realized again that it was useless.

He also realized that he wasn't the target of Knata's rage.

The blade of the swallow bit hard into Nabooru's shoulder. Her eyes widened and she let out a small gasp, and the blade continued, crunching to bone and muscle, curving inside and entering her heart. 

The scene seemed to slow to a crawl. A crimson spray erupted from Nabooru's chest and neck, filling the air around them with a red mist. The wings, the spirits of Gerudo warriors that had been holding her dissipated, abandoned them for the world of the Dead. Link and Nabooru fell.

The air in Link's chest blasted out of him as he hit the ground with a crunch. Pain exploded from his back and legs. He could feel ribs broken and shredding his insides. He couldn't feel his left arm. He could hear Knataghanim laughing in the air above him. Link felt it all, and he didn't care.

Nabooru was the only thing on his mind. He knew she was beside her, but he couldn't seem to move. Tears of pain and rage formed in his eyes, streaking down his dirty, bloody face. He screamed in fury.

A small heat was floating over his chest, and he felt pain draining from him. "_Esea!_"

he said silently. "_No! Forget me, save her! Save Nabooru!_"

Link thought he was speaking in his mind, but Esea answered him. "I can't, Link. She's beyond help. I'm so sorry." Pain continued to leave him, siphoning away from him in little bits and pieces. It couldn't be too late!

Finally he was able to move again, and he sat up in a fervor, searching. Nabooru was a few feet away from him. She lay silently, and there was so much blood pooled around her, it couldn't have been possible she was even holding that much.

Link crawled to her and pressed a hand against her ghastly wound. He knew it was useless to stop the flow of blood, but he had to be able to save her. "_I'm the Hero damn it. I have to save her! Please!_" 

Nabooru's face was relaxed, her eyes open and fixed. Link closed them gently and drew her to his chest. He cradled her and sobbed, racking, terrible sobs. "No! Nabooru please. I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

He looked into the sky and wailed. "DIN! FAEORE! NAYRU HELP ME! HELP ME PLEASE!" The effort stretched his bruised lungs against his shattered ribs, causing pain to screech through him. He didn't care. He shouted the plea again, with more force, more humility. "PLEASE HELP ME! NAYRU PLEASE, GODDESS HELP ME! HELP ME!!!!"

The spell fell upon him like a heavy waterfall. The immense feeling of healing took him. Link felt his bones knit and fall back into place. He felt rupture blood vessels and cut skin and flesh close. His vision cleared completely, and the pain lifted from him like the lifting of a fog. He looked down.

Nabooru lay still. 

"No…" Link whispered. Nayru's Love, he realized, would heal no one else but him. He cradled Nabooru's head and sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." he repeated, over and over again, gasping and crying, falling into complete despair.

**************

A tray of tools and gadgets fell to the ground, as Zelda held both of her greased up hands to her head. She fell to her knees, gasping heavily.

Evit and Malon, who had been working on the hull of the vessel, stopped their work and ran to her side.

"Easy now there lass." Evit said playfully. "Geesh, if I thought carryin' trays was too much work, I would have had you do somethin' simpler. Sing perhaps?"

Zelda wasn't laughing. The princess of Hyrule put a hand to her own heart, trying to feel if she were still alive. Malon looked at her worriedly.

The farm girl brushed a strand of red hair from her pleasant face, and put an arm around Zelda. "Are you allright Zelda? Maybe you need to lie down?"

Zelda shook her head. "I'm…OK….I think." Malon frowned. Zelda obviously didn't believe it. "Evit, we need to get across Giants Valley. Something……something terrible…."

Malon's eyes widened, and the blood drained from her face. Had something happened to Link?

Evit saw the look in her face, and became all business. "I'm working overtime here, but I'll work harder, if ye'll help." He wiped a sweaty, greased stained brow and pushed his glasses further up his nose. "We'll be off before evening, I promise you."

Zelda nodded, and Malon helped her back up. She didn't know what happened, but she had been hit with an intense feeling of sadness. So profound it shook her to her foundations.

Whatever happened, she thought for Link and Nabooru. She hoped deeply that they were OK.

*************

When the gigantic base above them moved away, slowly making its towards Hyrule, only Esea noticed. And then…only just.

While Link continued to hold Nabooru in his arms the sun crawled over the horizon, acknowledging the new day. 

****

NEXT CHAPTER:

It ends! The enemy has hold of the Secret of the Gerudo, and they plan to use it to release a horror that the kingdom has known on and off for millennia! As the _Ghanim_ cult prepares to stage a full assault on Castle Hyrule, the group must overcome their intense grief and anger to pull together and annihilate the threat once and for all. Will any more warriors fall? What of betrayal? Will Evit help in destroying someone he thinks is still good inside? Will Link even be able to function. It all comes to a head with Evil's Bane 3.7. Hope to see you there, and I think it'll be a good one. (o'.')o


	19. Evil's Bane V3.7

Evil's Bane

V 3.7

By (o'.')o ( pc_prettycool@email.com )

****

Disclaimer:

__

Mr. Miyamoto stumbled on a fantastic idea when he and his pals stumbled on The Legend of Zelda. Far be it for me to step on his shoes. Zelda and all subsequent characters are properties of Nintendo.

****

Note from the Author:

__

OK, I lied. This isn't the final Chapter. The next one is the final chapter, I prooooooommmiiiise. So please stop hitting me. Please? ***ow*, **what did I just say? This is a lead-in to the final Chapter. It's important, so I decided to keep it to a chapter in and of itself. Hope you don't mind. 

****

Last Chapter:

Nabooru, the young Gerudo warrior followed her heart and her heart led her to Link. Link was still confused and disillusioned by the previous battle, and when he found the huge base where the Ghanims resided, Link attacked alone. Knataghanim was again, too strong for him, and Nabooru made her final choice. She released the Gerudo Keepsake, a power that allowed her to call upon the spirits of her ancestors in battle. With the new power, Nabooru saved Link from death, but at two great prices. One: Knataghanim now knows the Gerudo Secret, and he'll use it to bring back the most infamous Gerudo of them all. The second great price was, Nabooru's life. 

The time for the final strike is approaches …

********

It was almost noon across the green land of Hyrule, almost time to get free of ones backbreaking labor and siesta. This was the thought that was in Aelin's head. He wiped his brow tiredly and got stood, stretching and drawing in the wondrous fresh Hylian air. 

Aelin looked around his field. There was sure to be a bumper crop this year. Smiling widely, he picked up his hoe and other tools and began towards the house. 

The sky gradually became cold and dark, and the ground rumbled fiercely. Aelin froze in his tracks and looked around, shivering because of an extreme sense of anxiety and dread. The farmer looked up, searching for the source of these horrible feelings.

Nearly 100 feet above him, an enormous, grotesque creature loomed, slowly inching it's way across the sky. The creature was covered in a slick black fluid. It resembled some kind of fish, with four huge fins, a withered tail and pores all over the body that opened and close, as if fitfully sucking in air. It's face consisted of a huge maw that was twisted in a frozen scream.

The farmers' tools fell limply from his hands, and he and stared, completely letting himself go to the dark force that floated above. Aelin knew he was no match to this energy, this being. There was nothing he could do to save himself or his family. The worst thing was that Aelin knew that as horrible as that creature was, there was an even more terrifying being that resided inside.

Aelin waited for death to come. Instead, the shadow that had covered the land passed over him harmlessly. The poor man let out a grateful breath and sank to his knees, watching the creature as it slowly made it's way East; towards Hirocco.

The creature may have passed him, but Aelin knew that distance wouldn't protect him or his family. He knew this creature, as long as it existed, would consume them all.

************

Flames licked the afternoon sky as the pyre burned. Link sat not too far from the funeral pyre, his back to the burning flames. He was staring at his bloody gloved hands. It wasn't his blood, it was hers. Her blood was all over him.

He knew enough about the Gerudo to know that this was what they did with their dead. It was all he could do to set Nabooru up on the wooden platform, and it took all of his strength to get Dragon to breath the flame that would put her to rest.

Dragon had been seriously injured by Knata's attack, and Esea had spent the while healing the metal beast. Still, it had taken a lot for the creature to reach within and breathe the burning air that set the pyre ablaze. Link gathered that Dragon must not have been born…or built, for spitting flames.

Link felt the heat against his back, smelt the smoke. Link fought with all of his will not to look behind, not to take a peek at the atrocity that was occurring. The flame was so hot, he knew that it would only take an hour before there was no trace of her left.

"_No trace, no proof that she ever lived._", Link thought_. "No…NO! That's not true. Damn me, it's not!_". Link closed his fist and brought them up to his face, smearing his cheeks with the lifeless fluid. He wasn't shaking, wasn't crying. He felt cold, lifeless. He didn't know what he was feeling. Was it anger? Pain? Was it sadness or guilt? Was it all of it, or was he feeling nothing?

"_Has this destroyed me?", _he wondered. Weakly, the boy opened his palms and peered at the blood that stained them. "_Nabooru…._".

Esea took leave of Dragon and wondered close to the elf. She had been mustering the courage to ask him, and she felt she could wait no longer. "L-Link?", Esea started warily.

The elf blinked, staring at his hands for a few more moments, and peered up at the fairy silently. Esea tried to read his eyes, and couldn't find anything. No anger, no pain, no sadness. Nothing, or was it everything? Esea shook her head and continued.

"I want to go back to Saria.".

Link blinked. For a second, he didn't remember who Saria was. It was only for a second though, and the memories accosted him. "_Saria?_", Link thought. "_Malon, Zelda, Ruto…_".

Esea floated in closer. "Link, there's nothing more we can do here, and that…that _thing_ is moving in her direction.". She eyed the boy for a reaction, and when she found none, she rushed on excitedly. "I want to keep her safe. I need to go back to her!".

Link looked at her as if she were a talking apple. He closed his eyes and tried to remember. "_Saria…_", he said inwardly. "_Malon, Zelda…Ruto. They're waiting._".

The boy had been silent for so long, Esea thought he might have gone asleep. Esea puffed up angrily, but kept calm. She was about to talk to him again when Link's eyes fluttered open.

"Let's go back.", he said simply. Getting to his feet, he called Dragon over and got on its back. He moved so quickly and fluidly that Esea was stunned. 

"_What's going on in his mind?_", she wondered, before joining him in the air. They left for Hirocco, leaving the pyre to burn alone in the wasteland.

*************

An hour later, Evit stood triumphantly in the large shed of his house. What had started out as a slow-moving hot-air balloon project had evolved into a serious project into air-propulsion and travel. To say Evit was excited was to say the least. Before him was a vessel created from a rowboat about 10 feet long and 2 feet deep. A large balloon was tied to the makeshift mast of the boat, and was complimented with 2 high-powered fans. Evit had added the technology from his guns to create two massive rockets that would propel the ship to high speeds.

Evit stood back and considered it carefully. It was a rick-shaw of a ship, dirty and ugly, looking like it was put together by a bunch of maids. Evit laughed evilly, of course, it _was_ practically put together by a bunch of maids. The scientist sighed, he at least wanted to paint it a nice coat of emerald and _name_ the vessel, but he was running out of time.

He knew it'd fly; he tested it an hour before. All that was left now was to refill the fuel and christen it for a proper flight. Evit scoffed, he wondered if Zelda would at least give him time for that.

Of course, he understood her plight. It was obvious the princess had a lot riding on Link's success as this…'hero' as it were. Evit thought that Zelda might also be holding some other feelings for the lad, but that didn't concern him. He also knew that Nabooru had gone off after the boy, and she was a close friend of the princess. Sighing, he supposed that if he were in Zelda's shoes, he would have been just as edgy.

Seeing no point in delaying the good news any further, he turned towards his house. Suddenly a gale from an intense updraft blew up, billowing his white bushy hair around his face. He turned around and what he saw made him gape like a slack-jawed yokel. 

A large metal plated serpent with 4 large slender wings lowered itself to the ground slowly. Evit marveled at what miraculous technology could have created the beast. Then he noticed that it was carrying a passenger. 

The town of Hirocco seemed to come to a stop as the Dragon slowly landed to the earth. Seeing the commotion, the rest of Evit's guests rushed out of the house.

3 silvery claws crunched into the ground and the Dragon beat its wings one final time. The throng stopped gathering around the beast once they saw how the beast leveled its many blazing eyes in their direction. The crowd decided it'd be best not to disturb the big metal dragon. 

Dragon relaxed and knelt on its forelegs, and let Link slide off.

**********

Malon was amazed. She never would have imagined that he would return so quickly. Malon had packed and was completely ready to voyage across Giant's Valley and fight by his side; and now, he was here.

"Link!", she said excitedly, moving towards him. Link met her gaze, but only for a moment. That moment was enough for Malon to see that something was terribly wrong with him. She stopped and looked him over. He was covered in blood, but he didn't seem to be injured. "_What happened?_". 

Zelda strode up to him, scowling angrily. "It's about time, you idiot!", she said with a sting. "Thinking you can go off like that, who in the world do you think you -", she held her tongue as she saw that Link was covered in blood and grime. A horrible question suddenly entered her mind. "Where's Nabooru?".

His eyes met hers briefly, a look that said absolutely nothing. "You should have listened to me.", was all he said, and he attempted to brush by her. 

Evit pushed his specs up his face and sighed inwardly. He knew something bad was about to go down. The young scientist turned from the scene and moved the crowd away in an attempt to give the group some privacy.

Zelda turned on Link furiously. "What do you mean, Link? Have you lost your mind?". She grabbed him by his shoulder and tried to turn him around, to no avail. "Where is she?" she demanded.

Link brushed her arm away from his and gestured to his tunic. "Here she is,", simply. He pointed to his bloody sleeve and his stained shorts and legs. " And here, and here.". He turned to the sky and waved in the air. "And here, she's all around here too.". He looked to Zelda and watched as the blood drained from her face.

"Wh-What are you talking about?"

Link turned to the other girls evenly. "You wondered why I left? You all thought less of me, because I didn't tell you? You were all _planning_ to follow me there?". He gazed at the ground. "Be grateful Nabooru was the only one foolish enough to make it across."

The elf was turned around and hit so suddenly it was as if Nayru herself had reached down and smote him. He stood stunned for moments and watched as the princess of Hyrule withdrew her fist and glared. She was shaking and was as pale as a Zoran. Tears were streaming down her perfect face, and her blue eyes were filled with anger and hatred. Link didn't know she was capable of such emotion.

"You…don't talk about her like that…you bastard!" Zelda cried. She stifled a sob and wavered on her feet. "You coward! If we were there…. if I were there…" she gulped and sobbed again. "You **bastard!",** she cried and rushed towards him again. This time Evit was there to hold her back. Zelda sobbed and collapsed to the ground, crying for "Sister" and the Goddesses. She cried, and Link watched woodenly.

Evit turned to the stunned elf and glared, his eyes cold with anger. "Ye'd best get out of here.", was all he said.

Saria, who was now holding Esea in her palm, ran to the princess's side. Malon was aghast, and the girl held her hands together to stop them from shaking. What had happened? Was Link saying, Nabooru was dead? How could he so callous about it, so heartless? He'd reduced the princess, such a strong and secure woman to tears. How could he?

Link turned away from the wailing princess and towards the house. Malon grabbed his arm roughly and looked him in the eye. Link said nothing.

"Whatever's happened to you, whatever horror you've experienced to be like this to your friends,", she said, voice breaking, "whatever you're feeling, Link, **snap out of it!**". 

She released him and went to console the grieving princess. Link considered her for a moment, half turning towards the group, and then continued on inside the house.

************

A young girl named Tredy was hurrying back home. She simply had to tell her sisters about what she just saw on her way to the market. They'd never believe it.

Tredy could hardly believe it herself. A huge white dragon, descending from the Heaven's as if the Goddesses themselves sent it. Maybe it was! She thought about the boy on the dragons' back. He was a knockout for sure, and he looked like he had been in a battle.

It had to be the Hero of Time! Tredy thought that was strange. Except for some of the boys and girls leaving town and heading for the desert to join some cult, nothing too bad was occurring; at least, not anything bad enough for it to signal the 'Time of Ill Tidings', the Time of Trouble.

Ah, she'll let her older sisters figure it out. The girl stopped in the middle of the road in horror. What if they didn't believe her!? What if they thought if it were a product of her "over active imagination"? They'd take away her novels! She'd die of boredom, her novels were all she had! Ack, that wouldn't be good. 

Tredy wondered for a while. She could say that somebody _else_ saw it, and she saw no reason not to disbelieve her. Yeah…that could work. She smiled. Now it was only up to find the suitable patsy. They boy in school that was always ogling her would work….

Before she could finish her thought, the ground shook with a steady but sure rumble. The afternoon sky turned dark, and Tredy looked above her. A massive creature floated 150 feet above her, inching slowly across the building tops, east: towards the desert.

Tredy was frozen as wave after wave of a dark and vile energy came upon her, emanating from the creature. She was terrified, not just of the monster, but what it carried inside. Tredy turned and watched as people stood stunned, fearful and paling. The whole town saw the beast creep over their homes. 

The girl had no doubt that no one would disbelieve her story now.

***************

Knataghanim fell to his knees. He was gasping heavily, and sweat was pouring down his face. The engineers that were with him in the Heart Chamber were staring at him, shocked at seeing the mighty _Ghanim_ in such a state. Knata growled and gave them his most deathly look, and it frightened them enough to go back to their work.

It was all a bluff. Knata was weak, so much weakened by the invocation that for a moment he could barely stand. The only time he felt this helpless and vulnerable was when he still lived with Evit Stal, when his brother had…

He brushed the thought out of his head and gathered his strength. The weakness passed, and the Ghanim felt wave after wave of strength fill his muscles, his bones, his blood. Still, Knata wasn't pleased.

Wearily, he walked up to the pulsing mass of flesh that sat in the center of the room; the creature's heart, and the portal to which the Master would return. At least, that's what he thought, except something was terribly wrong.

Time and again he had invoked the Gerudo Keepsake, and every time he was denied. Knata didn't understand, he was half Gerudo himself. He had a right to the Keepsake. That _girl_ was able to do it. Even the Hero could call it…so why not himself?

One of the scientists spoke up, her voice shaking. "S-sir, should we try again?".

Knata didn't look back. "No.", he said quietly. "He'll come in his own good time.". The young demon turned to the girl and smiled slightly. He looked almost normal. "We should pave the way for Him, and remove that blight which taints His Hyrule."

The scientist nodded. He meant, of course, Hyrule Castle. They were on course, and in a few hours, they would wage war against the Kingdom Head. Hyrule's Knights may pose a small threat to the Neo-ghanims that were preparing for a ground assault, but no one could withstand the might of the Base. 

And of course, no one will be able to stop the Master once He finally arrived. 

The girl pursed her lips and wondered, was this what she really wanted? All of her life she had been ridiculed for not doing what a good girl should, for being too immersed in science and alchemy. When she was approached by young folks such as herself, and told of the opportunity to flex her mental powers, she jumped at the opportunity.

She thought she was just asserting herself, finally making her mark in the world. Now she was going to be a part in the destruction of Hyrule. Just thinking of it sent chills down her spine.

She wanted to go home. Knata looked at her evenly now, and she glanced back at him. Sometimes he wasn't so bad. Did she think she was pretty? He could be a bit charming if he were impressed with your work…your 'strength' as he called it. But there was something about him, something that sent everyone else to the hills for safety.

"Get to work.", he grumbled, and with a wave of a black gloved hand, he created a door and parted the room.

The engineer finally let out a relieved sigh. She was glad to see him leave. If only he would let her do the same.

She sniffed once and went back to her work, but all her strength didn't go into it. She was occupied with thoughts of home.

**************

In his small-clothes, Link sat at the top of the stairs in the Stal's home, waiting for his clothes to dry. He was clean, after soaking himself for a half-hour in the hot bath, but he didn't feel like it. Quietly, he sat next to the railing, listening to the conversation that was taking place downstairs.

Esea had explained everything to them, and now they were talking about a plan. All the while, Malon was rubbing the sniffling Princess's back. Link considered Zelda, who had been so strong in the past. Even now, she was trying her best to lead in strength and wisdom. She was trying, and every minute she got better. However, Link could still see and feel the pain that was coming from her heart. It was undeniable.

"_She was her sister._", he mused. "_I guess…in all the ways that matter, she was her sister_.". He looked at the others as the conversed hurriedly, trying to think of a solution to the Ghanim threat. Every one of them was hurting, even Ruto, who didn't even know the Gerudo that well. Link wondered.

He felt his cheek tentatively. Her blow didn't actually hurt all that much, it didn't even leave a mark, yet he couldn't stop from feeling it for a huge gaping wound. Link thought about what she said. She had called him a coward. Was she right?

From his side, the handle of the Master Sword glistened in the soft light. The blade was still bound to its sheath by the cloth. Link considered it carefully. Was his locking of the Master Sword away an act of cowardice?

Taking the sword in his hand, he weighed and considered it again. Unleashing the sword caused unspeakable violence, a violence that wounded his soul. Keeping it bound caused Nabooru's death. Which was the lesser evil?

Link closed his eyes. It was true that he was this 'Hero of Time'. It was his duty to forsake himself in order to save others. He pondered on the Link's of the Past, and he knew they went through the same pain, the same self-sacrifice. Maybe the weight of it had become too much for Link…for all the Links… to handle. It broke him.

His eyes flew open in the realization. "_I was broken._", he thought angrily. He gripped the Master Sword until his knuckles were white. "_I was broken, and Nabooru- ._".

"Hey", Evit said, shaking the other's shoulder. Link came out of his thoughts and glanced downstairs. Everyone was gone. How long had he been thinking like this?

Evit watched him for a while, and then snapped his fingers. "If yur back with us, y'might want to know that the we're preparing to leave for the castle.".

Link looked up at him solemnly. "The castle?", he asked.

Evit nodded. "It's the obvious choice. I mean, that big ship that passed over us is definitely headed there. If they're plannin' on bringing back this 'Ganon' character, then the girls gathered he'd attack the castle first.". He leaned forward. "Makes sense, don't it?"

The other elf nodded halfway. "It won't work. They'll never be able to stop him.", Link said quietly.

The young scientist grinned harshly. "Then why don't ye get off yer sorry arse and help them out." He whispered. "If it's not too much trouble."

Link looked at him for a second, and then rose to his feet. He guessed that his clothes should be dry by now, and went to get them from the nearby room. When he came back, fully dressed, Evit was still there.

"One more thing.", He said, hands in his pockets. He looked at the ground, stepping towards Link in a calm demeanor, before stopping and staring at him, nose to nose. "If ye don't talk to Zelda now, this mission will fail before we even set off.". 

Link nodded. "All right.", he said quietly. He took the sheathe that contained the Master Sword in hand and stepped down the stairs. Link was okay with that. He even knew exactly what he was going to say.

**************

The others were boarding the small ship to its launching position while Zelda watched quietly. She felt like dying herself, but you wouldn't be able to tell from looking at her. She had learned to bury her emotions in order to lead a long time ago. One way to do it was to not think of the source of the pain at all.

But Goddesses, it was so hard. She was her sister.

Link walked up behind her, and Zelda turned halfway around. He was holding the Master Sword. The boy looked into her crystal blue eyes, and Zelda tried to read his sharp, brown ones. She couldn't see anything.

"You were right.", Link said evenly. "None of you should've have come, but that shouldn't have prevented me from doing what I had to do.". Link gulped and waited for a response. Zelda said nothing, but continued to look at him.

"You're all going to the Castle?", Link asked. Zelda nodded quietly and the boy shook his head. "You're going into a battlefield, and you won't survive against him."

Zelda opened her mouth to speak, her eyes flashing with rage, but Link hurried on. "But, I think you can help in protecting the Castle and distracting him…".

Link's hands went to the cloth that bound the Master Sword tightly to the sheath, and he pulled. The wires snapped and whipped in the air as they were flung away, and Link pulled the sword from it's scabbard. The slim blade shone an eerie, dark light. It vibrated slightly, and the sound seemed to be like a song of freedom…or triumph.

"…While I attack the base from the inside.", he finished.

Zelda looked at him, astonished and a bit disturbed. "W-what, Link? Is this supposed to make me feel better. It's a bit too late for that.", she snapped.

Link nodded. "I….", he sighed. "I just wanted you to know, that I'll travel the full path this time. I'll send myself to the dark realm if I have to, but I won't let you or the others down, like I did Nabooru.". Link looked to his feet. "And…I'm sorry."

Zelda turned and wiped at her eyes, trying to keep her show of strength. "I know you are Link, we all do.". This whole situation screamed of unfairness. She just wanted to sit with him and mourn Nabooru's loss, like they should have been allowed. Instead, all she could offer was an acceptance of his apology. It seemed so little.

With a clang, Link rammed the Master Sword back into its sheath. She looked at his face now, so fierce and strong with determination, but his eyes still seemed empty. Zelda wanted to trust him, but he'd failed them once before. Still, they were running out of time, and Link was all they had.

Zelda was suddenly aware of Malon being beside her. "Link?", she asked. "You're coming with us right?"

Link smiled and glanced over at the large white serpentine figure that was nestled against the house. "I'll be along. Evit can take you there with that…. whatever it is…. and I'll fly along on my…whatever that is.", he said light-heartedly. "My plan is that you make it to the Castle, because that'll be their target, and from there, I'm betting Zelda's magic will only grow. Meanwhile, I'll take the ship. Knata's inside, and if I can end him, I'll end all of this."

Malon nodded. "Sounds good, except for the small fact that Knata's been able to pound you into the dirt every time you fought him."

Zelda looked to the girl aghast, but she just brushed a large lock of red hair from its pretty frame and looked at Link carefully. Link smiled grimly.

"Knata will be going up against two opponents this time. The Master Sword, and I, and one of them is crazy." Link crossed his arms and gave Malon such a fearful look, that for a moment, she couldn't figure out which one was the 'crazy' one he was talking about.

Ruto and Saria came about and gathered around the trio. "Cliff's coming?", Ruto asked brightly. Link nodded and glanced at Saria, giving her a reassuring smile.

"So, the gang's all here!" Evit said from the archway. He strode over and clapped his hands together. "Well then, what'er we waiting fer, an invitation from the King?". He put his arms around the girls and led them to the ship, and prepared for the flight.

Link watched him go, and then turned to Dragon. With a nod, the beast flared its glossy wings and lurched towards the elf. Link climbed on its back and watched as Evit's ship took the sky. Link wished he had time to marvel at the feat, but instead he nudged Dragon with a knee and pointed to the sky.

The dragon beat its wings once, blasting air and dirt in a small whirlwind, and taking its whole mass off the ground. The wings flapped again and again, until Link was moving freely above the town. He watched Evit's ship suddenly take off at a tremendous speed, leaving a trail of flaring smoke behind it. Link smiled grimly and followed on the back of the Giant's Dragon. 

His target was finally clear; it was an end. He wasn't sure what that end would be, but for the life of him, it would be an end.

*************

****

Next Chapter:

Ok, so I miscalculated. Sorry already. I guess this was better though. I know you guys like reading long chapters, but who would want to go through 20-odd pages of my crap? Don't worry though, the final chapter is being written as you read this. 

Link is back, and he's ready to tear the bad guys a new one, even at the cost of his own soul. Will that price be exacted? While the girls plan to defend Hyrule, Knata will be attempting the ultimate invocation of the Gerudo's Keepsake. Will he succeed in releasing Him, and if so, can even Link be enough to stem that evil tide? The end will come next Chapter _(I promise)_, and I'll hope you'll join me. Please comment on anything you like or dislike, and I'll see you later. Thanks. (o'.')o 


	20. Evil's Bane End

****

Evil's Bane

Book's End *revised*

By (o'.')o ( pc_prettycool@email.com )

Disclaimer:

__

It's been a fun ride. Link, Zelda, Malon, Saria, Ruto, Nabooru, Epona, Talon, Ingo, Ganon, The villages of Kakkariko and Hyrule, Kaepora Gaebora, Lord Deku, Lord Jabu-Jabu, King Hyrule, Impa, King Zora, King Goron, The Zora, The Gorons, Mido, Impa, King Hyrule, The Kokiri, Kokiri Fairies, Skull Kids, Dodongos, The Master Sword, The Oath to Order, Din, Nayru, Farore, the Triforce and a whole bunch of cool and neat stuff were created by the geniuses at Nintendo and are owned by them. Kudos.

****

Warning: 

This is long. 18 pages in word. If you think I should split in in half, please tell me…either in a review or in the forum or in email. Thanks.

****

Note from the Author:

__

I've been spelling Farore wrong. Geesh! I may go back and re-edit all of my fics…some day. Gar Gar Gar. (Gregarious laughter ) Well, this is the final chapter, but depending on what is thought of the ending, I may add a little epilogue (Kinda strange, since there's no prologue. I guess I'm an idiot. ). Actually I probably will, but this still is the final chapter. 

So here it ends. **A Kid Named Link **to **Trial of Keys **to **Evil's Bane**. It was real fun. Wow, I changed the plot a few times along the way, and I hope it worked out at the end. This will be my first finished fic **anywhere**, so I'm pretty happy. I hope you all enjoyed it.

Thanks so much for all your reviews. People who pointed out my mistakes, my spelling my grammar my plot-holes, I can't thank you enough. 199 reviews is a LOT…and I'm really happy, but that doesn't mean I don't want any more. ;) ;). Actually, it's about…. 10 reviews per chapter. So, that was great, and I'd still like more. I hope I'm not sounding greedy. :/.

Even now my tiny little brain is churning up the next cool story. Unfortunately I'm drawing blanks, but I wanna write again.

Again, this was wild. Thanks for reading and reviewing. I hope you enjoy the ending, even though I might just have a bit more for this story if necessary. Thanks again and God Bless! :D

****

Last Chapter:

Link, defeated, returned to Hirocco and coldly gave the news of Nabooru's death to the others. While Knata and his army slowly made their way towards they Kingdom of Hyrule, Link created his resolve, with the help of Zelda and the others. There would be an end, and this time, the Master Sword would have a part. Freeing the mighty blade from its bind, Link joined Zelda, Malon, Saria, Ruto and Evit in their chase of the Ghanims….and the final confrontation.

The time for the final strike is now…

*************

The sky filled with a brilliant red haze, as the sun slowly made its way to the edge of the earth, finishing another celestial rotation. The city of Hyrule glistened marvelously in the light, but there was a noticeable difference between this sunset and sunsets of recent past. Nobody was left in the city to enjoy this sunset.

The shelters and armaments were full of civilians, while soldiers and Knights of the Guard stood restlessly near the city's gates. They were waiting anxiously for the call to attack.

However, they couldn't see an enemy. The fields beyond the gates were free from intrusion. It was eerily empty, not even Poe's floated around in the twilight. Where was the enemy?

One soldier pointed to the sky, and everyone followed with their gaze. A bulbous black dot shone in the sky, several hundreds of yards away, and it grew quickly. It was the creature that they were told of in the messages of seers and spies throughout the land.

There was the enemy…

****************

On the top of the battlements of Hyrule Castle, the King of Hyrule put the small glass viewer down and sighed heavily. It was just like he had been told by the messengers. A giant creature was indeed headed straight for the Kingdom.

It had been an few hours since the evacuation notice was issued, and the people moved to safety. Still, he wondered if it would matter. He could not recall the Kingdom facing this type of threat at any time, even after scouring the Chronicles of Time.

The King wondered about his daughter, about Zelda. "_Where are you…._", he thought inwardly.

Beside him, a plump ( it's big-boned! ) dark-skinned woman with silvery hair was barking orders to those below the battlements. She moved her gratuitous girth towards the King, light-purple robes swaying in the light wind. She looked to him now and patted him on the back.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you?", she asked.

The King wondered how she could be so calm? Zelda had been her charge. When the woman came to him with news of what Zelda had done, he was enraged. However, the King's Advisor; and his daughter's mentor, was not one you can get angry at very easily. Not if you wanted to live anyway.

"Impa….", the King started, "I don't know how I can lead at this time. I need my daughter with me. I need her…", the King couldn't finish.

Impa smiled. "Her Wisdom." She finished. The princess's gift from the Goddesses would've been a great help right about now. The woman wondered if Zelda had succeeded in her task. Was that boy that she ran off with really the Hero of Time?

She crossed her arms across her large breasts, and scowled at the King. He cringed involuntarily. Damn that woman could be scary sometimes. "There's no point in worrying about it now. The princess will be back soon, I know it.". She patted the King on the back again. "_At least, she'd better be back, and on time, or I'll make sure that girl won't like sitting down for the next while._". It wasn't a bluff. When Impa slapped you, it hurt, be you Royalty or not.

Taking up the viewer in hand, the advisor to the King of Hyrule looked through, in the direction of the monster in the sky. It was already moving over Lon-Lon Ranch. It wouldn't be long until it reached the Castle.

Impa blinked. Even though it had to be impossible, she swore she could make out a boat flying beside the beast.

****

**************

Talon looked up into the dark sky nervously and began to scratch his backside. The ground was shaking, and he found it a bit difficult to stand, but he hardly noticed. He shut the windows and walked to the center of the warm room. He missed his daughter.

He had been OK with her leaving with Link, but with news of this creature coming from the West, from where Malon had headed. Maybe the beast got her before heading towards Central Hyrule. The thought made him queasy. "_Malon…I hope that boy's protecting you…._". He thought solemnly.

Ingo wasn't having an easy a time being calm. In fact, he was drunk off his ass. The skinny farmer had gone through 5 bottles of Lon-Lon Ranch's potent "Magic Milk". (_10% alcohol. You have to be 14 years and older to drink. Available at bars everywhere. "Mmm-Mmm. Gotta have that wonderful MMilk" ä_. ). He still wasn't finished drinking.

He stumbled over to the fatter farmer and put an arm around his shoulder. Bubbles were coming out of his facial orifices (figurative bubbles of course) and he hiccuped. ( Classic drunk behavior). "YoU knOw wHaT, yoU fAT piEcE oF cRaP….", He started as Talon struggled to get him off, "… I alWayS wAntEd tO teLl yOO oFf…and nOw tHAt I'm DEAD…I hAVe tHe….chAnCe.". He slipped, and Talon helped the plastered man get back to his feet.

Ingo wasn't finished. "YoU….YOU…..aRE a faT…..GOD." he spat. He lurched over to Talon again and hugged him. "I lOVe yoU mAn. You're THe beST gUy……MAlOn."

"I'm Talon."

"TaLOn Is a GOd tOO." Ingo hiccuped. "I LOve yOu aLl SO mUCh! A TOAst!". He flung his mug of MMilk into the air. " A toASt to hOw I'M goNNa gET dEaD!". With that, the man fell into a fit of sobs.

Talon shook his head and sat the man down in a nice comfy chair. He took the mug away from him as the house trembled once more. "We're not going to die my friend, not if my daughter has anything to say about it. She's got Link with her you know.".

Ingo burped. "LiNK! THaT liTtLe BITCH. HE's a gOod gUy. YeAH I lOVe HIm tOo. ", he struggled to say, before falling into sobs again. 

After patting the drunk on the shoulder, Talon whisked to the kitchen and produced a tall cool glass of Lon-Lon's famous kid-friendly fantastical moo-juice. He ran over and gave some to Ingo. 

"ThANks…yOu ….Fat…baSTaRd!" Ingo hiccuped, and he took a swig. Talon sighed and hoped this would get him out of his stupor, or at least knock him out.

Ingo quieted down, and sure enough, began to mumble in a slurred sleep. Talon looked to the window again, not opening it because he was afraid of what he was going to see. The house rumbled again, a bit fiercer this time.

"_Malon_", he thought. "_I'm counting on you. I always have._"

**************

The soldiers rustled anxiously as the creature came across Lon-Lon Ranch, and ever closer to the gates. Suddenly a yell rose from the crowd, as people noticed tiny green lights appearing on the bottom of the beast.

Below the creature, several green lights twinkled and winked into existence. In their places were _Ghanim -_-warriors. Mostly young men and mercenaries who had no business wielding the large, sharp or blunt weapons that they were carrying. Each was covered head to toe in black cloth, and they stood in the middle of the field silently.

The Hylian soldiers and Guards were disturbed. Why were they not attacking? Were they afraid of them? The _Ghanim_ 's number was small, around a 100 or so. The Guards could take them easily. Still, something was giving the Ghanims an air of confidence. It was terribly wrong.

Another green light appeared, right at the base of the flying creature's bottom lip. The soldiers and Guards eyes widened, and the hair stood on the back of their necks.

Magically, a proclamation burst from the top of the battlements. King Hyrule and Impa spoke in unison, and their words reached the minds of all the soldiers gathered around the gates. 

"**_RUN!_**"

The Hylian warriors jumped and ran into the moat or further back into the City. At the same time, a light exploded from the flying creature. Raging green energy screamed from it's maw, burning and atomizing the air as it careened towards the gates.

The explosion was massive, and the sound was overwhelming to anyone within ear-shot. Blasts of mortar, bricks, dirt and other debris sprayed the air in a fountain of destruction. 

The _Ghanim_ 's cheered, delighted at their first display of power. As the dust settled, Hylian soldiers floating in the moat could only gape in dismay. The Gates to Hyrule were destroyed, and the _Ghanim_ 's began their march into war.

*************

Zelda was mortified at the amount of destruction the creature had already caused. They were cruising along now, at a slower speed than they were at before. It didn't take them long to reach the slow moving base, but now they seemed a little too close for comfort.

Link was flying along beside them on the metal Dragon, and he surveyed the damage from afar. "_Damn it._", he thought roughly. "_I have to get inside…I've got to end this._"

Evit, who had been flying the small ship evenly until now, was wiping his brow. "I-uh…", he gulped, "I think we have a situation."

They looked to him in wonder. Evit was looking at no one in particular. "There's something about this base, it's effecting our field o' gravity.". He looked to the others, and when he saw that they didn't get it, he moved on. "It's drawing us in. I think it's trying to crash us!" 

Zelda huffed, her golden locks billowing in the harsh wind. "Right, then take us away from it!", she hollered above the gale.

Evit rolled his eyes. "Ye don't think I've been trying?". He glanced to the large base, which was looming closer and closer in their view. They could see the large black pores that opened and shut on the surface of the creature. They almost looked like portholes. "Besides, this thing is much bigger than we are, it has a bigger pull on us."

Saria was holding on desperately to Esea, who was tucked inside the girls tunic. She looked to Evit now, but he didn't return her gaze. "So, what are you saying?" Their small ship moved closer to the Base, rocking heavily in the turbulence.

Evit glanced at her quickly without making eye contact. Link looked at him in amazement_. "Just what's going on with him?_" the Hylian teen thought to himself, "_Why's he acting so weird?_".

"It means….we'll have to bail!", the scientist gasped. He gestured to Link and Dragon, who inched closer to the ship. Both of them reduced speed so that the maneuver would not result in bodies being tossed in the air.

Link stretched out his arms, and first Zelda, then Ruto and Malon and Saria came aboard Dragon. The beast seemed to wheeze, and steam poured out from the gaps between its metal plates. Link struggled to keep it in the air.

"Come on, Evit.", he gasped. "I don't think ol' Dragon's gonna be waiting up here forever."

Evit shook his head, not looking at anyone. "I-I've got to pilot the ship!", he shouted. "There's still a lot of fuel in the tanks…and if they fall on one of those houses or farms below, it'll make a mighty pop, and a bit o' a mess." He glanced to the others, his gaze resting on Saria. "I'll be fine, take 'em down."

The girl blinked and leaned forward in Link's arms. "You can't be serious!" she shouted. "Evit, get over here-"

Before she had a chance to shout further, Evit's ship suddenly lurched towards the creature. There was a small explosion as one of the tanks ruptured, spilling smoke and molten metal in the air. The ship tumbled to the ground and crashed cleanly without an explosion. There was no sign of it's inventor.

Saria gaped, so stunned she could hardly speak. Zelda took her shoulder and held her close, as Link eased Dragon quickly towards Hyrule City.

"_Well…that was sudden._", he thought. He wondered what exactly Evit had been thinking. Whatever it was, he'd have to deal with it. 

The elf's heart sank as he glanced over to Saria. Her green eyes were shimmering, and she had a look of utter loss. Link ventured to think that they'd all have to deal, and fast.

*************

Impa loved it when she was right. As soon as the white dragon had descended into the battlements of the Castle, she knew it had to be Zelda and the boy. With great joy, she bounded down the steps and to the main level.

The dragon beat it's metal wings once, and again, and slowly leveled to the ground. Steam was pouring heavily from it's plate, and it's metal skin glistened. Quickly, the girls jumped off, leaving Link alone on the beast.

As soon as Zelda saw her mentor, she let out a small cry and fell into the woman's ample arms. "Oh Impa!", she cried, and hugged her even closer.

Impa didn't have time for this. She pulled the Princess away roughly and looked to her eyes. "There's no time. We have to form a Ring."

Zelda was shocked for a second by her mentors lack of kindness, but nodded determinedly. She looked to the other girls. "We'll need to go to the top of the castle for it to work. We have to hurry, we don't know when they'll blast us again!"

Malon nodded and ushered Ruto and Saria towards the others. As they ran to the castle, she turned, wanting to give Link one final blessing of good luck.

Her heart sank and she sighed. Link was long gone. Typical.

***************

Dragon beat it's wings furiously in an attempt to get to the flying Base before it leveled another attack. Already, Link could see the coalescing of green energy on the near the bottom of it's lip.

The elf lurched Dragon to the side, out of range of the blast, and veered upwards. The green light grew brighter and brighter.

Link whipped Dragon to the side and held on for dear life. A deafening roar assailed his ears, as a gigantic blast of green energy raged by his head, and towards the Castle.

****************

"It's going to fire!" The King shouted. He looked to the women. They stood there with him, at the very top of the Castle, a perch with a view of the entire Hylian Kingdom.

They all stood, eyes closed, hand in hand: The wise and serious Hylian Princess, the boisterous heir to the Zoran throne, the gentle child of the forest and the strong and kind milkmaid. Impa was the force that held them together, these girls who only a week or so ago, might not have known the other existed.

Now they shared in each other's strength, their will, their determination. The spirit flowed through each other in a dance of power and magic that even the Goddesses would have to marvel at. The connection was made, and the Ring was completed.

A blaze of green energy emanated from the creature and careened towards the castle. "NOW!", The King roared.

Zelda eyes flashed open, and her power exploded.

**************

Link watched as the blast veered towards the Castle, towards an inevitable collision. At the last second, a blue sphere expanded from the top of the Castle, quickly encasing the entire City of Hyrule. 

The green energy smashed against it, roaring, pounding away at the bubble furiously in a futile attempt. It couldn't pass. The bubble remained strong, and the green wave dissipated harmlessly into the air.

Link grinned. "_Yes! They did it! Unbelievable!_". It was Zelda's magic, but he knew it would take all of them to be able to expand her magic to protect the entire city. Still, they did it, the people below would be protected.

Which left him able to do his work. Link aimed Dragon towards the open mouth of the base, and got to his feet, crouching against the wind. He waited and waited, letting the mouth get closer and closer to him….

At last, he jumped, leaving Dragon to flap it's wings once to stop in mid-air, and veer to the ground. Link tumbled several times, narrowly missing sharp twisted teeth and material. Finally he came to a stop.

He didn't move yet. The air was stale and musty, and it was dark. Slowly he got to his feet. Link concentrated, and he could vaguely hear the sound of the wind slowing, as the Base came to a stop a few yards from Hyrule Castle, at several hundred feet in the air.

Straightening his tunic, and the Master Sword that was strapped to his back, Link moved forward. He knew instinctively where to go. "_Knata,_" he thought angrily, " _I trust you'll wait for me. I know you wouldn't want to miss this for the world._" 

*****************

The women on the top of the settlement held their breath in unison, as the green energy finally dissipated into the air. One by one they all let out a sigh of relief. Impa looked at them carefully.

"Don't relax yet.", she whispered. "I'm sure they're planning another one, and another one after that. We have to remain vigilant." She looked to Zelda, who was standing calmly and demurely. "I hope that boy of yours can finish the job.".

Zelda smiled. "I'm hoping too. Actually, I'm pretty sure he can. He's not completely incompetent.". She sighed inwardly, thinking of her last exchange with Link. _"Nabooru, I hope you're here with us. We could use your strength_.".

"Hey, Malon, you OK?" Ruto said suddenly. Zelda opened her eyes and looked over to the farmer. She was breathing heavily, and sweat was pouring down her face. Her knees were trembling a bit, and it looked like she was holding herself up only with willpower.

Malon wearily glanced at the Zoran girl, her damp red hair falling around her face. "I-I'll live. I just hope Link hurries it up." She gasped. 

No one else was having the same problems Malon was. Zelda realized that Malon doesn't know magic. It's not in her blood, like it is in Ruto, like it was in Saria ( even after becoming mortal ). Even Impa had magic within her, but Malon didn't have any. She was using her own personal strength to help keep the Ring and the bubble alive.

Zelda took in a breath and increased her output a bit, to take a load off of the poor girl. Ruto and Saria nodded and did the same. Impa smiled, and followed suit. 

Malon immediately felt the strain lift from her, and she looked to the others angrily. "You don't have to do that!", she huffed. "I can do my part.".

"Of course.", Zelda agreed. "But only a fool would refuse any help, wouldn't you agree?"

The other smiled wryly. High in the sky near the Castle Gates, the base coalesced green energy again, preparing for another strike. 

Zelda and the others boosted their power and waited.

****************

Link felt the floor shudder as the creature leveled another blast at the city. Regaining his balance, he sprinted to the edge of the room and squeezed himself through a slightly opened pore.

This room had the same dark pulsating walls the other rooms had, except that there seemed to be windows in this space. Light from the setting sun poured in, making the room devilishly red in appearance. This room also had one more noticeable difference than the others. This room was occupied.

Someone was sitting at the far end of the room, someone tall and white. Link could only see one good eye reflect light from the person. The Hylian spread his feet slightly and prepared himself.

The man got up, and stepped into the red light. He was a Zoran, or at least, he _had_ been a Zoran. Large chunks of his body was now occupied with strange black fleshy material, almost like the same material from the ship. The Zora stood proud and unclothed before Link, his hand crackling with a certain power.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time, you little bastard!", the Zora blasted. Link blinked, vaguely remembering the voice. "Don't tell me you've forgotten me, you dirty elf?".

Link smiled slightly and nodded. "I remember you. Korda right? Or was it Kardo….I just can't seem to recall." His hand fluttered to his back, near the handle of the Master Sword. "Funny, I thought Jabu-Jabu had eaten you. I mean, you _did_ fall into His stomach."

The Zora scowled. "Yes, well…as you can see, he almost did." The black fleshy blob that consisted of half of his face quivered sickly. "But now I'm better, and I've gained the ability to use Zoran Magic _outside_ of the water.". He crossed his arms and smirked. "The Zoran people won't have to follow that fat tub of blubber once I'm in power, and I _will_ be. Once Hyrule falls, the rest will follow. Ghanims will take their places as monarchs of the Races."

"Is that what I should call you then, _Ghanim_ ?", Link said sarcastically. "The Zoran already have their monarchy all lined up for at least 2 generations, and Ruto's still young you know."

The _Ghanim_ shook his head and laughed. "Ruto? Oh I've got plans for her, trust me. She'll be sticking around."

Link heard enough, and he pulled the Master Sword from it's sheath. The blade sang a sharp song as it was freed, and it wavered slightly in the red light.

"I should be scared now, right?", the _Ghanim_ sneered. Link planted his feet and prepared to rush the Zoran, but the other raised his hand in a gesture. Blue electricity surged and accumulated down the length of the white arm, surging from the black flesh of his body, and blasted towards the Hylian.

The boy flung himself to the side, and was blown back again by the impact of the surge nailing the floor. Bits of black debris and flesh rained down him, and he flew to his feet quickly and faced the Zoran again. 

He attacked again with surge after surge of blue power. Link raced across the wall of the room, dodging blasts of electricity and sharp debris that pelted him during the explosions. Another blast came from the _Ghanim_ , and Link brought the Master Sword up, blade facing the earth, in an attempt to block.

The blade did more than block. It acted like a mirror, and sent the blast careening away from Link and to the _Ghanim_ that had leveled it. The blast missed his head by a mile, and crashed against the ceiling of the room. 

Link blinked and looked down the blade of the Master Sword. It crackled with the blue energy. Apparently it also absorbed some of it too. Finally, a plan began to form.

Undisturbed, the Zoran attacked again and again. Link braced his feet into the ground and reflected the first blast, and then the other, trying to send them back at the attacker. The counters were terribly off mark, and the _Ghanim_ could only laugh at the futility.

Link was panting and holding the Master Sword tightly in his grip. "_The attack is too wide._", he lamented. "_I can't reflect it properly. Now what?_". He watched as the _Ghanim_ prepared another strike, the electricity surging and accumulating on his arm.

"_Well…the best defense…_" The Hylian thought, and with that, he propelled himself forward with such force and speed, the _Ghanim_ could hardly see it. He fired straight at Link, but the teen didn't dodge. Instead, he sprinted towards the attack, and whipped the Master Sword across the horizon of the beam.

The blast broke on the edge of Evil's Bane, and scattered around Link, blasting the floor, the walls, the ceiling around him. Debris rained, but Link didn't slow. He bared down on the _Ghanim_, as the attacker raised his arm again.

Link roared as he jutted his knee forward, and brought the Master Sword down in a mighty arc. It crunched through the _Ghanim _'s shoulder and downward, through flesh and bone, down to his heart.

Quickly, he removed the blade and sidestepped the _Ghanim . _Without a word, the life drained from the Zoran's eyes, and as blood sprayed from the gaping wound, he fell to the ground face first.

The blood pooled on the ground next to him while Link considered the attack. It was just like the one used to kill Nabooru. 

"_You and I, are we that different from each other, Knata?_", he wondered. He panted heavily, looking down the Sword's blade. It still crackled with blue energy, and it was clear of blood. However, the blade did become a shade darker. Link smiled grimly, and ventured ahead. 

Without stopping for a rest, he entered the next room. It was like the last room, dark and red with twilight. And like the last room, it was occupied.

Link brought the blade up to his shoulder, parallel to the ground, and growled. "However it is, come out so I can kill you.", he said angrily.

The figure got up like told, and stepped into the light. He was dressed in the same baggy, oil-stained pants and shirt that he had worn back in Hirocco. The light reflected from his glasses, and he leveled a sad smile at Link.

"Evit…", Link spoke slowly. "…I'd knew you'd be alive.". He stepped forward.

Evit whipped up his handgun and fired. Link was barely able to move his face to the side as the blast veered by, blasting the wall behind him. Link's cheek parted, and blood began to trickle down.

He looked to his face, shocked frozen for a moment, and then leveled a deadly gaze at the scientist. Link's eyes were cold and gray.

"I made a promise.", Evit said, leveling his pistol towards the elf. "It's as simple as that. I can't let you pass. That was a warning shot. The next one won't be so gracious."

"We'll see.", Link whispered. He stood straight and held the sword limply in his hand, as if all the weariness of the last battle had disappeared. Evit had grown quickly into a friend, and he knew that the boy was a close friend of Saria too. At that moment however, Link was fully prepared to cut him down.

**************

Malon gasped in relief as the last blast of green energy dispersed into the air. She felt so weak, it was even getting hard to breathe.

The other girls were taking up the slack, expanding their own power to help. Malon wondered what the hell she thought she was doing in this Ring anyway. She had no power, no magic. Surely she wasn't contributing at all to this, in fact, she was probably weighing them down.

Impa looked to her, angrily. "You're not thinking of quitting are you?", she hissed to the girl. Malon looked at her sheepishly.

"Yes, that wouldn't be wise, not with Impa around.", Zelda laughed. "Hang in there, Malon. You're only helping the Ring. It'll only be for a few moments longer….".

The King stood beside them, wishing he could lend his own strength. He gripped the sword that was strapped to his side. If there was a ground battle, he would be of great help, but the Ring was solely a female invention. Only the women could operate it. It made him feel little. 

That being said, he looked to the girls now and roared. "Stay strong! Only a few moments longer!". The King glared at the black monstrosity in the sky. With all of his strength, he urged the Hero of Time to his goal.

***************

"Just what the hell are you thinking?", Link blasted. "You'd have the Ghanims run around and rule Hyrule? Hirocco? What's wrong with you?"

Evit sighed, and aimed his weapon carefully. "I admit, I was once turned on to the _Ghanim_ philosophy. They admired strength n' all forms, 'specially intellectual power…but t' tell ye the truth, it wasn't for me.". He saw Link shift his feet and he compensated his aim. "I'm not here fer them. I'm here because o' a promise.".

"A promise?"

"I told you the story, how Knata and his brother became like me own brothers? I told you how he left, and he came back for a spell.", Evit held the gun steady. "What I didn't tell you is how he talked about the _Ghanim_s, about what he was planning."

Link's eyes widened in rage. "You _knew!?"_

"Hey listen, I'm sorry about what happened to Nabooru, really sorry, but Knata's a lost soul. I _knew_ him…and I knew he needed help. I promised that I'd stand by him if he needed my aid.". Link shifted again, and Evit moved his aim. "I never did help him, I even sent ye to his direction. I told ye, I don' agree with the _Ghanim_ philosophy, but yure planning to kill him."

Link nodded. "Yes. Yes I am. It's gone to far now for anything else."

Evit smiled grimly. "And I can't let you do it. I can't let ye kill him. He's a lost soul, and he's me brother. I'm sure someday he'll straighten out, but ye're not planning to give him the chance."

Link tightened his loose grip on the Sword. He was now only a few meters from the boy. He wondered if he could cover that distance before he was shot at. "Evit, he calls himself Knataghanim for a reason. He is lost, completely. Now it's gone too far. He'll level the world if we let him live."

Evit stood, unwavering. Link relaxed a bit and continued.

"He's planning on freeing Ganon from the Golden Realm. If he does, this world will be sent into total darkness. Knata himself won't even survive." He looked to the boys eyes, to see if he could find a crack. Link found none. "Knata's gone! You have to think of those that are still savable! Your mother! Saria!"

At the name, Evit blinked. He'd protect Saria from whatever Knata did, wouldn't he? Ganon is just a fairy-tale. He can't possibly be that strong, he's just a man.

"We both have to make a choice now Evit.", Link said quietly. " You have to choose on who to save, on who you have the best chance of rescuing. Knata, or Saria? I'm sorry, but you can only choose one."

Evit scoffed. "And yur choice?"

Bringing the Master Sword down to point a the floor, Link stared at the other evenly. "I have to choose on whether or not I think I can strike you down before you can pull that trigger."

Two young men stared each other down, tensing up and ready to strike at any moment. The energy between them was almost palpable. The standoff lasted for another minute….

…and then Evit sighed and dropped the gun to his pants pocket. Link let out a relieved sigh and relaxed visibly. The other smiled sheepishly. "He…he's like my brother, ye know.".

Evit pointed to a tiny pore off in the corner of the room. "It'll take you to the engine room. That's where he is.". He blinked angrily. "_Forgive me brother, but I can't save ye. I can only hope you can find peace in the Final Realm._"

Link sheathed the blade, and walked to the scientist. He patted Evit on the shoulder, talking quietly. "Get out of here, quickly.". With that, he rushed through the pore and through the tunnels that followed.

Evit watched him go, and sighed in defeat. "_Bloody hell Knata, I wish you'd just give in._", he thought sadly. "_Yer strength will be the end of ye._"

************

When Link entered the large heart chamber, Knataghanim was in plain sight. He was leaning against a console and was whistling a strange tune. It rose in a crescendo, and repeated itself, over and over in a slow moving melody. Link thought it sounded awfully familiar*.

__

*It's the same tune that Ganondorf played on the organ at the end of OOT.

"What is that?", Link asked him. Knata stopped and brushed his black tuke away from his face. He smiled at the other elf and rubbed his chin absently.

"It something the Master thought up.", he said wearily, gazing at the mound of flesh that was pulsating in the center of the room. Except for that constant beating, the room was dead quiet. Knata had sent everyone off the Base. Once the Master returned, there'd be no more need of them. And besides, he wanted Link to have plenty of room.

Link put a hand on his hip and relaxed a bit. "So he controls you completely, even down to your musical tastes. Are you that enamored with him?"

Knata chuckled softly. "What's not to be enamored with. He is Power. A mere glimpse of his strength would shatter you to pieces.". He glanced over to Link, who was staring down at him. "Aww…Hero. I know why you're angry. It's because I dissected your woman, isn't it?"

The young hero remained quiet, and Knata thought he was showing remarkable restraint. "I did you a favor. That bitch wouldn't have stayed with you anyway. They're dogs, all of them.". He shrugged and added, "and she was weak, useless. You're better off now. You should thank me."

Link was smoldering, but he channeled his rage appropriately. "I can understand how having your mother leave you and your father like strays after the fact would bring women out of your favor, Knataghanim."

Knata's black eyes blinked, his red pupils widening slightly. A moment later he relaxed and smirked again. "Evit.", he growled. "I thought he was stronger than that. I suppose he's lost too."

"No Knata, he's not lost. It's just us now.", Link said sadly. He regarded him closely, as if for the first time. A boy, barely a man, just like Link. He saw his hard muscles from beneath his black robes, and the way he carried himself, bristling with power, just like Link. His face was simple and young looking, with a small nose and a wide mouth, and strange black eyes. Tufts of dirt blonde hair peaked out of his black tuke, not that much unlike Link's.

It was strange. Malon Talon and Ingo had described him as a sort of Demon Pig, much like Ganon himself. So had others. Link didn't see any demon, any force of nature. All he saw was a man. The man that had attacked Malon back at the Ranch, the man that had nearly beat him to death, the man that had cut down Nabooru.

Wordlessly, Link's hand went to the handle of the Master Sword, and he pulled it out of it's scabbard. Knata waited a moment, and then stepped down from the console. Flaring his black robes, he removed the two bladed Swallow that had been hidden underneath, and faced Link.

The heart in the center of the room beat a little louder and faster. Link held the Master Sword, his eyes steel gray, and circled the _Ghanim _. Knata twirled the Swallow once, and stepped forward. Link stepped forward, and at awesome speed, bounded towards him.

The clash shook the base to the core.

**************

The bubble that shielded the City began to dim lightly. Malon sank to the ground, gasping for air, holding on to her chest in pain. The only good thought in her head was that it might finally be over.

Zelda, Ruto, Saria, Impa and Malon were still hand in hand, but they had let up on their power. The Base had not attacked for the last ten minutes, and the worse seemed to be over. Still, they didn't let up completely.

The farmer girl was breathing a bit easier now, and she felt that she might still be able to help if the enemy attacked again. Those thoughts vanished, when she was all of a sudden besieged with a strange feeling. It was Link.

The others felt it too. "Finally.", Zelda muttered. "Fight hard, Link.".

Everyone agreed with that sentiment, and the waited.

*****************

Blow after blow clashed against each other. Stinging sparks razed the air as the Master Sword clanged against Knata's Swallow. Link skidded backwards from the point, and flew forward again.

Knata parried the push and whipped his blades around expertly. Link ducked his head back, narrowly missing being decapitated. The _Ghanim_ followed with a shot to his midsection with his knee.

Air blasted out of his lungs, and Link was suspended in the air. Knata twirled the Swallow again and bore it down on him, but Link was long gone, having skirted quickly along the floor. He bounded back to his feet, and then he brought the Master Sword point forward, and propelled himself towards the _Ghanim ._

Again, Knata whipped the Swallow around to take off Link's head, but Link stopped inches before the follow-through. Planting his feet firmly into the ground, he stabbed twice at Knataghanim's head. Knata dodged once and parried the second strike, and then whipped the weapon at Link in a deadly arc. Link met the arc with his own, and the weapons clashed.

They were both blown back by the force, and skidded to a halt several feet from each other. Dust and debris filled the air as the combatants eyed each other. Link wished he could have used his magic…but all of his spells, including **Nayru's Love**, took strength from him. Any iota of strength lost against Knataghanim meant certain death.

Suddenly, Knata disappeared, re-appearing quickly on the actual wall of the room before racing towards Link in a blur. Link brought the blade up to protect his face, and Knata's attack ripped down the length of his right arm. Pain flashed only briefly, while Knata skidded on the ground and turned, preparing for another strike.

Link razed the Sword down in an arc again, smashing it hard against Knata's Swallow. Another shockwave rocked the room, but instead of being blown back, Link held his position by digging his hand into the ground. He leapt to his feet and leveled a stab at the stunned _Ghanim _. Knata parried, but the strike rent a deep gash in his side. 

The _Ghanim_ rolled to the side and rose to his feet, flaring with strength. The force nearly sent Link to his knees, but he withstood it and attacked with a roar. Knata whipped the Swallow sideways, clashing hard against the Master Sword. The other elf could feel the shock travel up his arms and through every bone in his body. Link stood his ground and struck another terrific blow against Knata's blade.

The wall began to chip and crack under the force of the battle, bits and pieces of mortar and flesh littered the air. Link backpedaled quickly, and found his back to the black heart that was pulsing rapidly. Knata fired another vicious swipe with his blade, and Link dodged.

The Swallow stopped an inch before the beating heart, and whipped to the side, slashing at Link's cheek. Link brought himself back in a rush, and turned around in a flash, slashing Knataghanim's torso. 

They split from each other and halted, eyeing each other and panting heavily. Link could feel the pulse of the heart resonating through the room. He could also feel the Master Sword pulsing, as if in concert with the heart. The rhythm flowed through his body and began to match his own heartbeat.

Whatever Link was feeling, Knata felt it too. He pointed to the heart eagerly. "He comes!", he shouted with a twisted glee. He twirled the Swallow around and brought it above his head and roared. "IT'S TIME TO GIVE WAY TO THE STRONG, HERO!!!"

Knata exploded with power. Link couldn't believe the power that was raging from him. The Master Sword became limp in his hands. Link knew he couldn't survive in the face of such raw power.

As Knata flew forward for the final strike, Link felt a hand creep up behind him. He spared a glance, and saw the image of a young boy. He wore green Kokiri clothing, complete with a long green tuke. He smiled at him with his clear blue eyes, and took hold of the Master Sword.

Link felt a surge of memory assail him, memories of past battles and techniques Link had never experienced previously. Before he could catch his breath from the experience, another image creeped behind him. This one was taller, but he was dressed the same way as the boy. He also held the Master Sword. Link realized they were Link's of the Past.

One after another, they came and held on to Evil's Bane. Slowly, Link put the sword to his left side, tip towards the ground, and gripped it with white knuckles. Knata roared in a blaze of energy towards him. Time slowed to a standstill, while Link released his power. He put his right foot forward, and gritted his teeth.

The Master Sword began to glow a soft blue color. It intensified, and deepened, changing it's shade from blue to red. The blade drew in the light of the room to itself, and brought the chamber into complete darkness. A buzzing sound roared in the air.

Knata came at him with blazing energy. Link felt and heard the roar of the power against his ears, through his bones, his being. The Master Sword blazed a murderous red, and the power continued to expand.

When Knata was only inches away, Link stuck with the technique that was the heritage of the Link's of the past, present and future. The **Spin Attack **first crashed into Knatahanim's Swallow, and completely obliterated it. The pieces of the weapons flared in the air, and disintegrated in the force of the blow. Knataghanim still moved slowly through the air, his face in complete shock.

Link spun a full 360 degrees.

Evil's Bane crashed against the _Ghanim_'s face. Blood exploded through his nose, mouth and ears, as the bones in his cheeks were completely demolished. His head was knocked to the side, and his eyes bulged in horror and pain. The blade passed him.

Link spun a full 360 degrees.

The final blow landed on Knata's ribcage. The Master Sword smashed against his side, and the resulting shock shattered every bone in his body. Shards and fragments, whipped inside the _Ghanim_, and tore his internal organs into ribbons. 

Link finished his final rotation, and came to a stop, the whirlwind of power slowly dissipating into the nothingness. Beneath him a perfectly shaped crater smoldered quietly. 

Knataghanim hung in the air, while the force of the attack completed the damage, before flinging him to the nearby wall. He bounced off it with a crash and crumpled to the floor, next to the pulsating heart.

Link fell to his knees, completely drained. The Spin Attack, with the power of Evil's Bane, was more powerful than all of the Goddess spells put together, and just as draining. Link remembered using it seriously only once before….way back in the Lost Woods, against the towering Armor Knight. It wasn't as powerful, but then he had not fed it's strength through the Master Sword.

His eyes returned to it's natural brown shade, and the Sword fell out of his limp hands. Link had never felt so _tired_. He felt strange….like he was dying ... Link noticed an eerie quiet in the chamber. The heart had stopped beating.

A thin slit of light cut through the mound of flesh, and a golden radiance poured out of it. Link heard a gurgling sound, and looked to his side. Knata was still alive, fitfully reaching for the light.

"M-Master…..I was not…s…ttrong…..ee..nnnou…."… Knata was never able to finish. His eyes fixed in their sockets, and he went limp.

Link looked to him sadly, and back towards the light. A figure was emerging from it. "_No.._", Link thought in horror. "_Oh come on….not after everything….it's not…._".

The ephemeral image of the 10 foot tall Demon-Pig towered in front of him. His snout was wet and his small eyes were red and blazing. His arms were as thick as tree trunks, and his torso was as large as a wagon. His feet were large armored hooves, and large razor sharp tusks jutted from the sides of his mouth. 

Wordlessly, Ganon reached out to Link's weakened body, and punched through. A blazing pain wracked his body, so much so that Link could only see a bright light.

With a yank, Link was pulled out of his body, and it went limp and lifeless. Link watched from above as Ganon put a hand inside of his body's chest. The Demon-Pig roared in triumph.

The last thing Link saw was his own eyes flare open, blazing a terrible red color. His body's mouth was frozen in a twisted grin.

*********************

The base suddenly came ablaze in the darkened sky. Zelda and the others intensified their magical ward. The stress was too much for the girl from the farm. She fell out of the Ring in a heap, breathing with much exertion. She felt so ashamed, she couldn't look up at Impa when the big woman glanced towards her.

"Malon, get back inside. You're still a part of the Ring.", she ordered. Malon looked up at her wearily. She was in despair.

"_I can't do it. I'm not like you guys._", she lamented. She could still feel bits of their magic flowing through her, since she was still part of the Ring. She was about to ask to be disconnected, when the feeling overtook her. 

"_Link!_", she gasped. "_Link's leaving us, oh no!_". She looked to the object in the sky. Something had gone terribly wrong. It couldn't end like this.

"_No._", she thought. "_I'm not going to lose you._". With that, using the will and power of the bits of magic that still funneled through, she reached out with her mind and soul.

Impa watched the girl strangely, and then gasped as the farmhand fell limp to the ground.

**************

__

"Now this is pleasant.", Link thought. He was standing in the middle of a vast field of the greenest grass ever conceived. The plain was completely empty.

Link rubbed the back of his head, and checked his arm. He was completely free of injury, but he felt this strange tugging sensation on his elbow. Link dismissed it and took a look around. "A whole lot of nothing", he ventured. 

He turned around in a full circle, and when he stopped, a boy was sitting in the grass in front of him. Link blinked, that guy wasn't there before. He didn't look older than Link, but his face had an air of youthfulness, as if the guy had never had stopped growing emotionally at some young age. He had large red-brown eyes, like a Gerudo's, and they were as sad as they were angry.

The kid was looking at Link with a sour gaze, and Link didn't like it. "Hey kid, what's your beef?".

"I'm not mad.", the guy said. "I was weak, you were strong, and now I'm here.". He looked at Link carefully. "But then again, you're here, so maybe you're not that strong after all."

Link smiled. "Strength isn't everything you know.". The other scoffed.

"Bah! What else is there? Strength is all I had…it's all I ever had.", he said, trailing off sadly.

Link shrugged. "Go find your brother. Go find Dain.", he suggested. "I'm sure he's around here somewhere."

The boy's eyes widened, and he looked at Link carefully. "D-Dain? You think he's here?", he asked. When Link nodded, the boy looked at the ground for a few moments, and then got to his feet.

"I'll look for him then.", Knata said sheepishly. He turned around and ran off through the grassy field.

Link smiled. He hoped Knata would find him. When he crossed his arms, a voice spoke from behind him. "Aw, that was awfully nice of you. But then, you always were too nice for your own good."

Tentatively, Link turned around. A Gerudo girl was sitting on the ground in front of her, her hand fiddling around with her long red ponytail. She gave him a smile and crossed her legs at the knees. "You're not going to say 'hi' even? That's rude of you."

"Nabooru.", Link breathed. He went to her and put his hands on her shoulders. She was warm to the touch, and as real as anything. "I-I can't believe it. Nabooru!", he reached for an embrace.

The girl shied away and put a hand on his chest. "No, I wouldn't want you to get too used to this place. You're not even supposed to be here."

"I'm not?", Link thought. Come to think of it, he did find it rather strange that both Knata and Nabooru were here. He had seen both of them die. "Wait a minute….was this place…..".

Nabooru nodded. "That's right. The Final Realm. You wouldn't believe how many Sisters I've met here. I met the first Nabooru too!". She pursed her lips and thought carefully. "She beat me up pretty bad, but I'll get her next time. I'm still getting stronger."

Link felt the pull on his arm again, and his eyes flew to his side. Stil, nothing there. He didn't understand. "Why am I here? Why did Ganon come back? I mean, I stopped Knata from using the Keepsake to call him right?"

"No, not really.", yet another voice answered. Link glanced behind, and he saw the same young boy as he saw while fighting Knata. He was with scores of others dressed just like him. Link's of the Past, except this time, they were as real as he was.

The boy looked at him with a face of purity , his shining blue eyes young with energy, and old with wisdom. "You're here because you're dead. Ganon's going to be using your body now, and since you have no place to go, you came here. Everyone does."

Link was confused. The feeling of a tugging on his arm grew more intense. "W..why does Ganon need my body. How did he even return in the first place? I thought I stopped Knata from calling him!"

"Knata called him a long time before you even met him.", said another voice. Link was getting tired of this. He turned behind him and looked at a young man, quite a few years older than him. He had slanted eyes, tanned skin, and an exotic look to him. He wore a simple black shirt and gray pants. Knata stood next to him nervously.

Link smiled. "Dain right?". He glanced over to Knata, who was staring at the ground. "What do you mean, 'he called him before I even met him.'?"

Dain shrugged. "The Gerudo Keepsake was his to hold too, you know. After I died, he was filled with so much anger, hatred, fear, despair. He wanted strength more than anything in the world, so that nothing could ever hurt him again."

"That was when he called Ganondorf. Knata and Dain's mother was the daughter of a line of cousins and sisters that stemmed from Ganondorf's line, so he was able to answer the call easily.", the Link-boy, the first Link said.

Link scratched his head. "Wait a minute, how can he even call Ganon. I mean, he wasn't dead, he was just locked away in the Golden Realm. Doesn't the Keepsake have to work on spirits?"

Smiling, the boy waved a finger in the air. "Uh, technically, the Keepsake works on people from other Realms. Spirits from the Final Realm usually, but obviously also living beings from the Golden Realm too.". 

He paused briefly. "However, he couldn't use the Keepsake as a way of bringing his body to your Realm. The fact that he was still alive complicated things. But ah, that Ganondorf's an ingenious fellow. He found a way to keep his dominion over the Golden Realm, and at the same time, there in Hyrule."

"Ganondorf was with Knata, but Knata wasn't what he needed. He needed the holder of the Triforce of Courage. He needed you to kill Knata, so that he could be released, but he made Knata too strong.", explained Nabooru. "Then he created the Base from the Golden Realm, with a heart that would use the energy of violence as a gateway. Once Knata was dead, the Gateway would open, and he'd use **your** body. That is why you're here.". 

Link sighed. "So it's over.", he thought to himself. Then aloud, he said, "I wish you guys could have told me before, like when you first came over to me. It could have helped a bit in my training."

The boy shook his head and laughed. "Come on Link, you still don't understand?". He strode to the current Link and sighed. "The Gerudo Keepsake doesn't send us to you. You had to call us, and you did. You've called us since you were old enough to think."

Link blinked as the boy continued. "We tried to answer, but the magic of the Kokiri Woods kept us away. However, you stilled called us, constantly, even while in the Woods. As soon as you left those Woods, we were finally able to answer."

The current Hero nodded. "So, I guess I knew from birth that something like this would happen…and since I happened to be Half-Gerudo, I used it as an extra edge this Time around….", he mused.

"There was a problem though, one we didn't anticipate. The Master Sword is a living blade, constantly seeking out Evil and destroying it, while still being a center of calmness and purity.", the boy explained. "But in the hands of so many "Link's", it got confused…disoriented. It reverted to it's primal nature, seeking to only carry out it's main purpose, to purge evil."

Nabooru nodded. "That led to you becoming disoriented yourself, confused, depressed. It wasn't supposed to be that way I guess…but it happened, and it led to my death."

"I'm sorry." Knata grumbled. Dain rustled up his younger brother's bushy hair.

Nabooru shrugged. "I can't possibly miss living. It's so….alien to what I am now. I don't harbor any bad feelings."

Link felt the tug on his arm again, and scratched it absently. "I know I asked…but why are you telling me this anyway? Why does it matter now that I'm dead, and Ganon's in Hyrule?"

The boy motioned him forward, and when Link bent down, the boy put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you telling me you can't feel it? You can't feel her pulling you back?"

Link blinked. "Wha?"

***************

Ganon roared in rage. Two spirits couldn't occupy the same body, and Link was still in his, if just barely. 

It shouldn't be possible, except for the wench that was somehow keeping the boy from heading to the Final Realm.

Ganon watched her now, his red eyes blazing. She was grunting heavily, holding on to Link's Spirit's arm with two hands, desperately fighting Ganon as he pulled the spirit the other way.

"**_Not when I'm so close. I won't be held back by a feeble Hylain girl!_**". With that thought, Ganon heaved the Spirit forward.

****************

__

Link could feel her freely now, and he glanced down to his arm. The image of Malon holding his hand was wavering and thin. "She must really be killing herself doing this? Why don't they ever stay out of it…why'd they always have to risk their lives?"

The boy shook his head. "Link, you have to learn to trust in the living.", he said quietly. "I know you were trained and taught by the dead…and you trust in them. You fear that the living are too weak and frail, and you don't want to involve them. But you know what? The living are stronger than you think, they're stronger than anything."

Link looked at the people gathered around him. "Trust in the living? As that what I've been failing to do?". He gazed over to Nabooru.

She looked at him warmly. "The living are trying to help you now, Link. Trust her, she can help you."

"Go on.", the boy said. "The next time you'll see us, we'll be happy to add you to our ranks. But now is no the time. Go on, she's calling you."

Link nodded. He could hear her call, feel her pull him back. He pushed fears of her death out of his mind, and held the hand back. 

As the light consumed his vision, saw Nabooru and Dain wave, and the older boy say something. He wasn't sure exactly what it was. Maybe….'thanks'.

****************

Malon did not have the strength to pull any more. Ganon was just too strong. If she held on any more, she'd be lost too. She knew all of this and continued to pull anyway. She wasn't going to lose him like this, not to _him_.

As Ganon roared, the spirit of Link returned to life. He propelled himself forward into Malon's arms, and back into his own flesh.

Ganon was kicked out of Link's body, but only barely, the demon maintained his strong grip. Link could hardly move, but he had enough strength to reach for the Master Sword.

Again, Ganon roared, his power erupting in waves and torrents at the elf. Link gasped in pain and gripped the Sword tightly. With one final heave, he brought Evil's Bane forward. It ripped through the air, cutting through atoms of energy and strength and will, fighting through the torrent of Ganon's evil. 

Link cried out and drove the Sword through. 

************

On the battlements, Malon slowly came back into consciousness. The other girls were holding her, as the castle trembled. They looked towards the Base.

It was crumbling and warping in the sky. Chunks of debris fell to the land, crashing hard in the grass and waters of Hyrule. 

The King, Impa, Zelda, Ruto, Saria and Malon watched as the Base slowly descended to the earth.

*************

Link was sweating and panting heavily. The room around him crumbled around his ears, but he didn't pay attention. He only paid attention to the man in front of him.

Ganondorf was a strong Gerudo warrior, clothed in black leather armor. His blazing red hair and cropped beard gave him a look of complete authority and power. His arms were thick and gloved, and his torso was twice as wide's as Link's. He stood tall and proud, even in the face of defeat. Golden light enveloped him, and he slowly sank back into the Golden Realm.

He looked at Link now like he was looking like a stray dog. "_I will succeed, **Courage**._", he said smiling. _"If not now, then at another time. I am immortal."_

Link met his gaze evenly. "_And you'll be stopped, **Power**. If not by me, then by another._", Link said calmly. "_We will always be here._".

The King of Evil's face shone with a Golden Brilliance as he as taken back to his eternal prison. "_Hero…._", he echoed through the room, and with a final flash, he was gone from this world.

*************

The Knights of Hyrule gathered the last of the _Ghanim_ warriors, who had lost their will to fight once the Base had crashed. The women from the top of the Castle hurried into the field.

Evit was found next to his battered ship, surveying the damage. Saria ran up to him and grabbed him by the arm. "I can't believe….I thought you were dead!"

The scientist blinked. "Uh…of course not. I just wanted t'check if my ship were salvageable." He put a hand to her cheek, brushing away strands of green hair. "You did good, Green. All of ye did.".

"But where's Link?", Zelda demanded. Before he had a chance to answer, a cry came up from somewhere in the crash field.

A Guard called them over, and the hurried to the scene. Once there, Zelda put a hand to her heart in relief, and Ruto cried out with joy. Malon just smiled , tiredly , with Saria, Evit and Esea.

In the rubble of the ship, Link lay spread out. Cuts and bruises lined his body, but he was panting heavily, and laughing all the while.


	21. Epilogue

****

Epilogue

A _Ghanim : _a_,_ servant of Mandrag Ganon, The King of Evil_._ Though many people did not know what connection the ghanims had with the Dragmire, the word became synonymous with '_siding with evil_'. 

After the crash, a few men and women that had either chosen or were seduced into joining the ranks were tried and punished appropriately, usually with a small prison term or community service. Many neo-ghanims escaped and left the fold completely, trying to forget their time. And still others, only a small few, still believed and practiced in the ghanim philosophy.

Over the years, the word _ghanim_, or '_to be a_ _ghanim '_ attached itself to the Hylian vocabulary. Centuries later the word would end up being mispronounce and mistakenly defined to mean '_aside from evil_'. Thinking this, many parents looking for a suitable name for their baby boys, chose 'Gahnim', or 'Aghan', or even the more formal, 'Agahnim'.

Would the naming of a child with that cursed title bring darkness into the life of the boy, and to Hyrule? That is a future tale, for another time…

***************** 

A soft wind gently rustled the delicate and pristine flowers of the Royal Garden, and provided Link with a cool breeze to smile to. He lay there now, in the middle of the serene enclosure, breathing deeply, slowly, and smiling softly.

Even now his body ached, 2 days after the crash of the Base. Link closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. How he had survived the catastrophe, he didn't know, nor did he care. He didn't wonder about it now, just as he had not when they found him. All he could remember was that his body was racked with pain from the wounds and bruises he had suffered. He also remembered being overcome with so much relief that he could not stop laughing.

Link's smile widened at the memory. When they picked him up and carried him back to the castle, giggling like a schoolgirl all the while, he was sure that they thought he lost his mind. He assured them though, that he wasn't mad…just really, _really_ giddy.

The 2 days that followed went a bit too quickly for his taste. The first day was of rest, Link didn't have enough strength to stand, let alone cast **Nayru's Love** to heal himself. Of course, the ladies he had befriended had each kept him company for at least a while. They brought news of the joy and relief of the citizens of the City. 

Link found out that most of the people didn't know who to praise. Some thought that Sorceresses from the top of the Castle smote down the evil Base; others thought that it was the mighty Impa herself. And of course, others rumored that the Hero of Legend had floated down from the heavens with a mighty Dragon, and with the all-powerful Master Sword, had destroyed it and the _Ghanim_'s with one fell swoop. Link didn't care about that either. They could thank whoever or whomever they wanted. He himself had a lot of people to thank, after all.

After that initial day of rest, the King ordered a private little celebration amongst the Princess's, and the Hero of Legend's, friends; those who had stopped the evil from consuming Hyrule, and prevented another Great Cataclysm. Link didn't think he'd forget that feast any time soon. There had been just so much _food_, he thought it was almost obscene! 

After Impa's blessing, Link found that he didn't know where to begin, so he started with everything. A rack of lamb here, some salad there, a huge drumstick by here, a bit of fish over there, some cheese, oh and he couldn't forget the soup, and those buttered buns, it all looked so divine. He had rubbed his hands eagerly and had then proceeded with stuffing his face with all of the above nearly at once, when he noticed the others gaping at him. Zelda had then asked him if he were raised on a farm, directing the insult without Malon in mind. Link had sighed tiredly and reminded her that in fact he _had_ been raised on a farm. With that, he then laughed gregariously and started back to his feast.

The next thing he remembered, he was outside the room, flat on his back. Link cursed himself again at his stupidity; after all, it wasn't the first time he had pissed Zelda off and then later experienced 'lost time'. Oh well, at least they had let him back into the room.

Link sighed and breathed in deeply. It had been a great day.

Birds chirped musically, unseen from a nearby tree. Link lay in absolute stillness amongst the blossoms as he opened his eyes slowly, and leveled a gaze towards the eastern wall of the Garden.

Princess Zelda of Hyrule stood there silently. A glittering chain of precious jewels lay gently across her brow, and her golden curls framed her picturesque face. She was looking down at Link now, her brilliant blue eyes locked on his. 

"You didn't tell me Evit threatened to stop you up there in the Base."

Link blinked, and got up on his elbows. "I…don't know-"

Zelda smiled and shook her head lightly. "Oh no, don't lie to me Link, even if it is to protect him.". She demurely crossed her arms across her chest and shrugged. "Besides, Evit confessed.".

The young elf's shoulders drooped slightly. "So….what's going to happen to him?"

Putting a slim finger to her bottom lip, Zelda pouted slightly in thought. "I think he'll be jailed for life, on a charge of Treason. That sounds about right, don't you think?"

Link gaped.

Upon seeing his reaction, the normally reserved princess let out a harsh laugh of triumph. "HA! How do you like it now, Mr. Everything's-a-joke? Not too nice was it?"

The other set his jaw straight and shot Zelda a sarcastic look. "At least my jokes are _funny_. I'm sorry Zelda, but you've got a twisted sense of humor."

She shrugged and strolled towards him. "I wasn't really exposed to a lot of comedy growing up, so cut me a little slack.". She stopped and watched as Link got to his feet, brushing off blades of grass and a few unfortunate petals. "I don't want to put it off any longer. We should all go see Andala now."

Link nodded. He agreed completely. Play time was over. It was time to pay the Gerudos a visit, and give them the bad news.

***************

They met outside of the City, near the deep river that led to the Zora's Domain. The whole group walked through the damp grass and cool rocks, before stopping at the edge of the flowing river. Ruto turned around to face them and clasped her hands behind her back.

"You guys know how much I'd rather be with you when you go to the Gerudo right?"

They all nodded unanimously. 

"I mean, I really wanna go, you know, pay my respects to Nabooru, but I wouldn't last two minutes there!"

Link nodded again. "Yeah, we know Ruto- "

"I'd shrivel up like a guppy on a hot plate! You ever see a guppy on a hot plate? It's not very -"

"For the love of everything holy, Ruto!". Link huffed. "You don't have to explain yourself. I mean, really -"

Without warning, the Zoran princess leapt into his arms, wrapping her arms and legs around his body, and hugged him fiercely. Evit stifled a laugh with his hand. Malon was smiling widely, and Zelda shook her head.

"I suppose the Zoran teachings of royalty don't include lessons in etiquette.", she said with vexation.

Ruto stuck a tongue out. "Oh of course we do, I just don't pay attention to them.". She turned to Link, still in his arms, and attempted to take off his tuke. Link fought vehemently. "Besides, he's just so gorges isn't he?"

"Ruto!", Link gasped.

"Well, aren't you going to give me back to water?", she asked innocently. Link smiled and marched towards the stream. He didn't have much trouble, Zora's were light by nature, and Ruto especially. 

When he was a few steps from the waters, he closed his eyes, breathed seriously, and heaved the girl unceremoniously into the river.

Ruto fell in with a huge unseemly splash. The girls looked at him in astonishment. Just what was he thinking? Evit couldn't take it any longer, and fell to the ground chuckling. "Lucky guy.", he said tongue-in-cheek.

The Zoran girl broke the surface of the water and gave Link an evil look. Link waved in an apology.

"Ruto!", he started seriously. "Don't let anyone push you around. You look good, trust me."

She smiled at that. "Ah, they don't bug me anymore. Ever since you rescued me from Kardo Korda, I changed my attitude. I've been strutting around like I own the place, which incidentally I _do_. And you know what, they like it!". She looked to him slyly. "I even met a nice guy down there. His name is Mikau, he's a musician. He's starting a band, and says my voice is 'divine'. Mikau wants me to lead, isn't that wild?"

Link scowled. "I see…………. And does this Mikau have a _real_ job? Maybe I should have a talk with him….".

"Yeah right! Bye everyone, it was fun!". Everyone waved and the Zoran princess silently ducked beneath the waters.

Link sighed, a bit sighed. He'd miss that girl. The elf got to his feet and began to walk over to the others, when something hit him in the back of the head. Something damp….

He grabbed it and stretched it out. It looked like the top of a bathing suit…made out of seaweed.

Evit was laughing raucously when Link was hit in the head again. He quickly whipped the article off and held it stiffly, his face reddening. If he had the top, he was pretty sure of what he was holding now.

Ruto's head bobbed up to the surface, just above her eyes. "Something to remember me by.", she said with a wink, and then she was gone.

"Oh my." Malon said coyly at the blushing boy. "Are you gonna frame them, perhaps?"

Link looked to her, then Saria and Zelda. "Uh….", he mumbled feebly.

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Farore Din and Nayru.", she swore. "Just pocket it and let's go please?"

They all started off again, Link walking slowly, the garments still in hand. "_Hmm…_", he thought. "_Frame them eh?_". 

****************

A day later they were in the Desert Fortress. There they were greeted by Epona, Link had left behind near the Giants Valley. Apparently she made her way back to the Fortress and had waited for either Link or Malon to show up. Malon hugged the horse strongly, and Link was happy too, but he didn't get too close. He wasn't sure if Epona could hold a grudge or not, and that horse had strong teeth.

His happiness faded while he watched Zelda speak to the Gerudo den Mother, Andala. The large woman was smiling and beaming once she saw Zelda and the others, but as the Princess talked with her, Link could see her smile fall away. 

Link felt Nabooru's lost acutely, now more than ever. He tried to remember the short time he spent in the Final Realm, where he had seen her. The memories were vague, but he recalled how much he thought she was alive. With both of them in the Final Realm, it seemed they were both flesh and blood, and there was no feeling of loss or sadness…even though he knew that Nabooru was dead.

However, ever since he returned to the living, her loss tore at him painfully. It didn't matter whether or not she were experiencing a new form of being in the Final Realm, her loss was felt here, amongst her friends and family, and it was as real as anything. She would never again laugh or cry, experience love or sadness. 

Link tried to console himself and others with the thought of her being in the Final Realm, safe from harm forever. It helped, but only a little. At least in coming here, back to her home, he had the proper opportunity to say goodbye.

Andala walked up to him silently, and Link noticed every Gerudo woman, baby, child and elder watching her sadly. Link explained the circumstances of her death one more sickening time, omitting any references to the Gerudo Keepsake. He didn't want Zelda and the other non-Gerudo learning of it, it was his responsibility to keep that secret his own. 

At the end, Link did something totally unexpected by the others. Glancing to Evit, he said quietly, "Knata was also a victim in this, and he was partly Gerudo. I was hoping that we could wake for him too. The Dragmire was the cause of all this pain, and we shouldn't forget those he destroyed, should we?"

Andala scowled fiercely. "Mandrag Ganon,", she spat. "I wished that one day, I'd break our Once King's neck with my own bare hands. But it rights me to know that again, a Nabooru of Gerudo was instrumental in his defeat.". She put a hand on his shoulder. "We've not honored many men before, but if you believe it's right, we will do so for Knata as well."

Link nodded and glanced at Zelda. Anguish was still heavy in her eyes. Link knew that she didn't like the idea of respecting Nabooru's killer alongside Nabooru herself…even though Link had told her of Knata's reason. He asked for it though because as Andala said, he thought it was right.

Glancing at Evit briefly, he smiled to himself. At least he knew of one person who was truly happy with his request. 

***************

Early the next day, Link found Evit outside of the fortress, standing quietly. Dragon was next to him. It sat calmly, metal wings folded to it's side, and rose it's head as Link approached.

"Unbelievable.", Evit said quietly. "I'm still tryin' to figure out if it's a machine or a living beast." .

Link shrugged. "Could be both, I guess. I wonder what it's doing…". He took a step forward, and Dragon stretched it's plated neck towards him. It's red eyes blinked rapidly, and it seemed like it was trying to tell him something.

Evit pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose slightly. "Maybe it wants something from you. Were ye supposed to reward it for it's services or somethin'?".

Link snapped his fingers, and reached into his tunic to fetch out Saria's Ocarina. He held it with purpose and looked into the beast's eyes. "Thank you for your help Dragon. You're free now, go anywhere you like.". Link thought for another moment, and then added, " Just don't eat any people, OK?"

Dragon reared like Link had insulted it's intelligence, and with one mighty beat of it's wings, took to the air. In moments, he was only a spec in the horizon.

The two of them watched it go for a few moments. Then Evit half turned to the other elf. "I appreciate what you did last night. I'm sure that most weren't pleased…"

Link shook his head. "If they saw what I did, they'd all have wanted the same thing.".

Evit nodded, and the two of them stood there in the sand for a few more moments, before heading back to the Fortress.

******************

"So you're going to Hirocco with him?", Malon asked the ex-Kokiri. She nodded sheepishly and glanced at Evit. 

"I think I'm going to stick around with Mrs. Stal for a while. I want her to teach me to tutor children, like those at the place I stayed when I left the Forest." She smiled and crossed her arms. "I think I'll become a teacher even."

"You won't mind having to live with this cretin? I mean, his mother I can understand….", Zelda remarked coolly.

Evit scoffed. "You'll be sure I'll be as annoyin' as I can possibly be, so's to drive her off." He looked over to Link, who had been strangely silent. "You've got me word.", Evit winked.

Saria came forward and embraced Malon and Zelda, and then Link. "Come visit as soon as you can.", she whispered into his ear.

Link hugged her back and broke the embrace softly. "I uh….I will.", he mumbled. Before he could think of anything else, he was smacked in the nose by a small ball of light.

"You'd better learn to be more eloquent when you speak, you bum!", Esea huffed. "Don't mumble while Saria's talking to you!"

"You know what Esea, I'll miss you most of all.", Link half-groaned, rubbing his nose. Remembering suddenly, he reached into his tunic and pulled out her Ocarina. He held it out for her. "Thanks for lending it to me.", Link said quietly.

She took it and held it close. "Not a problem.". She looked to the others. "Take care you guys.".

"Bye-Bye!", Esea called.

"Malon, Zelda, Link, don't be strangers.", Evit called. With that they headed West, home to Hirocco.

Link sighed. It was weird to see these people that had become so close to him leave like this. But Saria was happy, which was what mattered. Link hoped the other Kokiri would follow their example, sooner or later.

**************

Malon climbed on top of and watched as Zelda approached Link coolly. Malon didn't interact much with Link after the Base had been taken down. After that day, she felt strangely shy and resigned to watching Zelda and him interact, with much hopelessness. They just seemed to fit in _so well_ together.

She didn't remember much about what happened _in _the Base. She remembered feeling that Link was in horrible danger, and her reaching out….and then the next thing she remembered she was being helped on to her feet by Impa and the others. 'The strain of keeping the Ring must have finally overcome her', they said. Malon thought that it had to be true. Still she felt something deeper, more profound had happened, but she couldn't remember. 

Now she watched as Link and Zelda, free of the responsibility and troubles that had weighed on them for so long, began to bond. Malon brushed long curly red locks from her face, and put a hand to her cheek. She felt tired, but she knew, it was time to let go.

"All right, we still have one more thing to do." Zelda piped up. "We have to put the Master Sword to rest. We don't want it to grow cranky, do we?"

Link smiled and nodded in agreement. He looked to Malon and said, "Well, let's go then, back to the Castle."

The farm girl shook her head. "I…I think I'm going to go back to the Ranch. Epona's probably homesick, and uh…", she gulped silently. "Well I want to go back…since, you know."

Link blinked. "Well….sure, if you feel that way. We'll meet up with you afterwards.". 

Malon masked a smile. "Yes, of course.", she lied, and urged Epona forward.

Link and Zelda went off alone towards the Castle, and Malon didn't look back.

*************

Underneath the Imprisoning War Memorial, inside a dark green canopy of trees and light, the resting place of the Sword of Evil's Bane waited impatiently.

A ringing song filled the air as Link pulled the Master Sword from it's sheath. He held it in front of him and looked at it's blade. It drew in the light around it, and it was as clean as the day it was forged. He felt nothing but calmness and purity coming from the blade. It was complete serenity.

Link looked around the canopy, searching for strange shapes and wraiths, and listening for ominous music or singing. All he heard was the sounds of birds and small animals as they foraged in the glade behind him, and the most he saw was a small squirrel as it darted out of the canopy in search for food.

"I guess…they're gone.", Link thought of the Link's of the Past, the shadows that had been a part of him for as long as he could remember. With a twinge of relief and melancholy, he strode towards the large slab of rock, turned the Master Sword tip down, and drove it home.

The 3 small pebbles that represented the Keys of Fire, Water and Forest split from it's handle, and flared in the air. With a flash, they disappeared, leaving the Master Sword to tremble and glow slightly in the slab of rock.

The sword changed shape, morphing from a singled edged thin bladed sword, to a double-edged broadsword it was originally created as. The transformation finished, and lines of moss creeped up the rock and up the surface of the blade, as if the Sword were covering itself for the long rest ahead.

It was finished. Returning the Master Sword symbolized the end of this Troubled Era. Link sighed heavily with complete ease. Finally they can go on living.

His final Task completed, Link left the glade and ventured back to the Castle.

************

Zelda stood quietly in the Garden and waited for him to return. She was despairing silently. Link, Link, Link. She still didn't understand completely why she was drawn to him so. It could be some kind of twisted fate, or maybe it was just because they both held pieces of the Triforce. Zelda tried to think that it might have been nothing more than a foolish crush. She wasn't sure what it was, but she knew that she could easily envision spending the rest of her life with him. Except she couldn't.

"_Goddesses…._", she prayed, "_…this is so unfair._".

She felt him stride into the Garden. Zelda turned quickly and faced him. She hoped she wouldn't break down. "Link…", she started.

The teen stopped and smiled at her. "What's up?"

She held her eyes on his. "From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for what you endured for the sake of Hyrule.", she said formally. "Thank you."

Link rubbed the back of his head, and watched Zelda as she walked towards him. "You know, I really do love Hyrule, and I love my people, and I love working for them." She turned to the wall of the Garden, into the window that led to the Great Hall. "I feel it gives me a meaning, to serve them as the Princess…".

She turned, golden locks swinging, and faced him. Her face fell in sudden sorrow, and her glistening eyes turned to the ground.

"…but sometimes….", she sniffed, squeezing her arms together. "….sometimes it's…..".

"Hey..", Link said, and brought her arms up to her. She stepped away quickly and brushed a white gloved hand across her face.

"Link, thank you. I….I wish you well.".

Link looked at her sadly. He realized what this was. His time in the Castle, and with Zelda was over. "I…I will always be ready to serve you …and the Kingdom …again, Princess."

Zelda nodded tersely and turned away. After a moment, Link left the Garden silently.

***

When he was finally gone, Zelda sat in the garden and tucked her knees up to her chest. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and didn't bother looking up. She knew who it was.

"We all have our burdens to bare.", Impa told her.

Zelda sniffed. "It doesn't make it any better.", she said quietly. Impa nodded.

"There will be another, you wait and see.". She smiled and gave the Princess a short embrace. "Impa knows best."

Zelda couldn't help but smile at that. Impa was right, she did know best, and they did have their burdens to bare. Some just seemed a bit crueler than others.

"_Link…_", she thought sighing, "_take care._".

*************

"Malon, are you sure you don't want to rest for a while?", Talon called to the girl in the field. "I mean, really, Ingo and I can take care of it. Why don't you relax?"

Malon turned to him smiling. She was taking care of the horses that were freely exercising in the vast yard of the farm. It was a bit tiring, but she didn't feel like a rest yet. "I'm all right Dad.", she called back.

"But Malon, don't over-exert yourself!"

"Why not?", Ingo grumbled. "She's not pregnant is she? If not, then she can work! Simple as that."

Talon grumbled and dropped the subject. Malon laughed. She can always trust on Ingo to be crude, but effective. 

She was about to go back into her work, when Talon called again. "Malon! You've got a visitor!".

Malon turned to the gate and looked with astonishment. Link stood there silently in the red haze of the sunset. He looked…a bit tired.

Malon walked towards him, and Link strode over to her. "Link…", she started quietly, "..what are you doing here?"

Link looked at her strangely. "What do you mean, 'what am I doing here?'. This is my home isn't it? Or has that changed?".

She looked at him breathlessly. "What? Uh…I thought…I mean, you and….". Link just watched her carefully, and she began to blush. "I mean…of course, it hasn't changed.". She smiled happily and held out her hand. "Welcome home."

Link returned her smile and took her hand in his.

As the sun sank brilliantly into the Western Horizon of the Kingdom of Hyrule, they returned to the heart of the Ranch, and the Gate creeped slowly to a close behind them. 

****

The End


End file.
